Wide Angle 44 - Eli Scruggs

Iiiits Johnny...back with the promised third WA this weekend – celebrating the birth of my daughter. This one is different from the usual beat. Who is Eli Scruggs? Well, he is a character in the famous serial “Desperate Housewives” who really struck chord within and coagulated random related thoughts inside me into a mission statement for life. Before we go any further – yes I have begun watching Desperate Housewives or DH (came across it because only 2-3 channels work on my TV here) though this is a series from some earlier season. Ok, so let the brickbats come – he watches DH – how gay is he (I do agree to that argument, after Karan Johar, I am the second Indian man who is saying he watches the serial publicly, but I am very much straight) – folks, but this serial is enjoyed by many men as well because it is a very well made, tightly scripted, fast paced and illuminating story. If you don’t watch it, please do, you will like it, especially after I describe the Eli Scruggs episode and what I have learnt from that here.
A short background – the serial is about 5 housewives who are desperate (off with your dirty thoughts – they are desperate for freedom, happiness, comfort, love and many intangible things). They live in suburban America in a town called Fairview on a street called Wysteria Lane. The lead characters are awesome women - Susan Myer (Terri Hatcher – plays the fumbling, always falling in and out of love housewife), her beau Mike, Bree (an upright, fastidious, old fashioned wife who is also a great organizer and cook), Lynette (mother of 4-5 children, always in control and strong woman, excellent mother and wife) married to Tom, Katherine (friend of them all, a deputy of Bree and divorced from abusive husband), Edie (sexy blonde who flirts and steals others’ husbands but very tough character) and finally Gabrielle (Gaby – this is played by Eva Longoria - the lady who posed with Aishwarya Rai at Cannes – she is an ex model and is very straight forward and brutally honest with everyone).
The episode with Eli Scruggs is my favourite. The story of DH is told by Mary Alice who committed suicide and is also a friend of the women above. Eli Scruggs is the handy man on Wysteria Lane who does jobs of fixing things on Wysteria Lane example a broken tap, drainage, roof tiles or anything else. At the beginning of the episode, Eli is fixing the roof of Susan’s house and declares to all that it is his last job since he is going to retire. That is when he suffers a heart attack and dies. Through the episode, every lady mentioned above remembers difficult moments from their lives when Eli stepped and with a gentle nudge, helped them get through their vulnerable times.
It begins with Gaby, she remembers the time her husband Carlos forces her to move to the suburb – she has been a famous model and used to a happening life and being pampered. She finds the suburban life boring and says that to every woman. All the ladies visit her house for a chat. Gaby makes a dramatic entry and goes off about her modelling life and how boring the suburb is. The others leave unhappy and from then on, Gaby is not invited for any events. That is when Eli shows up to fix something and gently advises her that she would need friends to survive in life and potential friends won’t admire her for showing off. Gaby humbly goes to the ladies bridge afternoon and apologizes and asks for friendship. She joins the group from then on.
Lynette remembers the time she has had her fourth baby. She is still working and is struggling with the baby and trying to match the demands of her work. During one such afternoon, she has just returned from shopping and is talking to her boss on phone and explaining things to him and she enters her house – forgetting the baby in the car. Eli walks in with the baby and hands it over to Lynette. He gently tells her that he understands that she is very stressed in life right now with the job and baby and so it is natural that the baby got left outside. At that moment, Lynette realizes that she is trying to hold on to her job when her real priority is her baby. She silently thanks Eli for the help.
Bree remembers the time she is with her earlier husband and decides to write a book of her recipes. She pens down a few of them, when her husband sees them he chides her saying why would she need to do something so stupid and who would want to read such a book. Eli is working under the sink on the drainage. Bree is disappointed and throws the recipes away in the dust bin. The next scene is when her husband is now dead and she is sitting alone and forlorn. That is when Eli walks in, gives his condolences and hands over her recipes to her saying he has preserved them for when she would need them and says he thinks she might need them now. Bree discovers the strength within herself and moves on. Eventually, Bree opens a successful catering company and publishes a book with her old fashioned recipes.
Edie remembers the time Eli is working in the bathroom and overhears the conversation she is having with her husband where she wants sex and he charges her with being too demanding. The scene cuts to two years later when Edie’s husband has moved out since he realizes he is gay. Eli walks in to fix something to a devastated Edie. He comforts her and points out that so beautiful is she that she could hold on a gay man with her for two years. He gently kisses her hand and they end up sleeping together but that brings the confidence back in Edie.
Susan remembers the time one of her boyfriends leaves and she is sitting on the door ledge crying. That is when Eli comes and sits next to her and tells her that he really admires her. Eli says, “All my life, I have been wondering what love is and kept away from it thinking that I might get hurt. I look at you and see the courage with which you look for love and keep trying for the perfect love. Hats off to you.” Susan cries on his shoulder but she is over the hump.
Finally, Mary Alice who is narrating this story tells her memory. This is when Eli who has first moved in to Wysteria Lane and is trying to set up shop. He asks Mary Alice for a job, she looks at his torn shoe and asks him to fix her vase. That is Eli’s first job on the street from which he grows and becomes prosperous. Eli walks in to Mary’s house on the day she kills herself, she is sitting with her back to him and asks him to keep the vase he had fixed for her. She is speaking weird but Eli doesn’t realize that she is so troubled. He goes away with the vase. After a while, a big crowd has gathered around Mary’s house since she has killed herself. Away from everyone in a corner is Eli who is sitting in his car and crying. That is when he resolves that he will help anyone in need and not let something like this happen again. The episode ends with Bree and friends near Eli’s grave. When they are leaving, Bree notices a flower out of place on his grave, she goes back and fixes it and says, “This is how Eli would have liked it”.

My take:
So what did I learn? Simple, there are moments in everyone’s lives when they are in trouble because of circumstances and are extremely vulnerable. Such times could come to anyone. Depending on the intensity, people may come out of the state of mind or sink further. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an Eli Scruggs around who would gently show the way. More often than not, people need that pat on the back saying “I know you can do it” and they are on their way. Sometimes they need more tangible help. This is what I have decided for myself then – I will help anyone who comes to me with all the efforts the same way I would make for myself. A small phone call here, a little mail there may really change someone’s life. This what I have learnt the hard way when I needed help and I was hearing closed doors. I found my Eli Scruggs and survived. I intend to do the same for others. If nothing, it will earn you good karma. That always helps. Isn’t that what God is about? After all, if your car is stuck on the highway, a simple mechanic who comes and solves the problem seems like God to you. Let us all try to be Eli Scruggs to people we know – this will not only help us with the “duas”, but also make the world a better place.


Regards,
Abhijit Kothiwale

Meanings of Indian words (for my non Indian readers):
Dua – blessings or request of happiness to god for a certain person who has helped you
Karan Johar – A very successful director/producer from Bollywood who is rumoured to be gay
Aishwarya Rai – the most gorgeous lady in Bollywood, former Miss World