Ħelu Wrappers and a Missing Moat in Mdina

The Case of the Vanishing Vistas and Sugar-Coated Culprits

Something sweet went sour in the silent city of Mdina. The ancient moat, known for its serene views and echo of chivalrous whispers from past knights, had mysteriously dried up overnight. The locals, led by the town busybody, Aldo ‘il-Fenek,’ were flabbergasted. Their beloved moat, which had survived sieges and selfies, was suddenly as dry as a Maltese summer.

The Culinary Clue

But, mela, a twist awaited! A trail of ħelu wrappers fluttered in the wind, leading from the moat to the parapet. Maltese tongues wagged faster than tails at a qattus convention. Rumor had it that the wrappers belonged to the famed ‘Dolci di Dezira,’ a local confectioner renowned for her irresistible treacle rings.

The Unlikely Detectives

In an unexpected turn, two retired policemen, Carmel ‘il-Bużu’ Borg and Twanny ‘it-Tromba’ Xerri, took it upon themselves to crack the case. They were the Holmes and Watson of the confectionery world. Bużu, with his nose for detail, and Tromba, with an ear that could hear a pastizz drop in a storm.

“Ara, uwejja, we’ll solve this case faster than you can say ‘ħobż biż-żejt,” Twanny boasted.

The Sweet Stakeout

The duo staked out Dezira’s delicatessen, watching as crowds flocked for her sweets, unfazed by the moat’s demise. Hours passed, teeming with idle chatter and the changing smells of timpana and rabbit stew from the neighboring eateries.

A Splash in the Night

As nightfall descended upon the honey-hued streets, a splash echoed through the empty moat. Bużu and Tromba sprang into action, their joints creaking like medieval armor. Rounding a bend, they found their suspect, knee-deep in the moat’s remains, dumping…water!

“Ħey, you! X’inhu għadek tagħmel? (Hey, you! What are you doing?)” Bużu interrogated.

“Relax, ħabib, I’m just trying to refill the moat,” the suspect stammered. “I won it in a poker game down at the pub in Valletta yesterday. The night got wild, and someone bet the moat. I had a royal flush.”

The Twist in the Tale

The suspect was Saviour ‘Sal-Maxu’ Mifsud, a local plumber by day and an aspiring magician by night. After winning the moat, he realized its historic value and, feeling guilty, attempted to return it to its former glory using a garden hose.

As they helped Sal-Maxu bail water into the moat, the three men shared belly laughs and slices of qassatat. By sunrise, the moat was miraculously full – not because of their efforts, but due to a broken water main that inundated the moat with crystal clear water. It turned out; Sal-Maxu’s magic was plumbing after all.

The Resolution

In Gozo, news of the replenished moat caused such jubilation that a feast rivaling the carnival of Nadur was organized. The plot twist of the plumber-turn-magician’s fiasco had the townsfolk chanting:

“Mela, uwejja, only in Malta!”

And as for Dezira’s sugary creations, a new sweet was born: the Mojatella, a confection commemorating the moat’s brief disappearance and the friendships that had sprung out of it. As they savored the new treat, everyone agreed on one thing – the peculiar power of community in the face of inadvertent plumbing magic was the real cause for celebration.

The Sweet End

By the time the incident closed, Bużu and Tromba were local heroes, their legacy set in stone and treacle. The moat was full, Mdina was quiet once more, and the Times of Mela had its latest sensation, tickling funny bones and proving that in Malta, even when the trail goes cold, the resolution is always warm… and occasionally, wrapped in ħelu.

Kollox jirranġa ruħu!