Summary / Review
The anecdote "Fufi" is taken from Trevor Noah's memoir Born a Crime. It is a warm, humorous, and emotional story about a boy's love for his dog and an unexpected life lesson this love teaches him.
Trevor's family had earlier owned two black cats, but they were killed by neighbours who suspected witchcraft. After a period without pets, Trevor's mother brought two puppies home, and named them Fufi and Panther. While Panther was smart, alert, and responsive, Fufi seemed slow and unresponsive. The family simply assumed she was not very intelligent. Trevor adored Fufi completely. He considered her the love of his life. Only years later, when Fufi was fatally injured and taken to the vet, did the family discover the truth - Fufi had been deaf all along. What they had mistaken for stupidity was simply an inability to hear.
The heart of the story, however, is a discovery Trevor makes during the school holidays. Left alone at home one morning, he watches in disbelief as Fufi scales the five-foot backyard wall and disappears into the neighbourhood. He follows her on his bicycle and finds that she jumps into a stranger's yard. When Trevor rings the bell, a boy answers. To Trevor's shock, the boy calls Fufi by another name: "Spotty." A heated argument follows, each boy insisting the dog belongs to him. Since Fufi is deaf, she responds to neither name. The boy's mother eventually gets involved, refuses to return the dog, and only releases her after Trevor's mother pays her hundred rand.
Trevor is devastated by the emotional wound of seeing Fufi with another boy, behaving as though she did not know him. He sobs the whole way home. He cannot easily recover from what he feels as a betrayal.
The anecdote closes with the adult Trevor reflecting on what that experience taught him. He realises that Fufi was not being disloyal. She was simply living her life fully. That life included another family, another yard, another boy. The lesson he draws from this is one he carries into adulthood: "You do not own the thing you love." He counts himself fortunate to have learned this at such a young age, and whenever friends come to him heartbroken over relationships, he sits with them and says, "Friend, let me tell you the story of Fufi."
In its tone, the anecdote is funny and tender in equal measure. It is a childhood memory told with the wit of a comedian and the wisdom of someone who was able to understand what it meant.
Vocabulary
Vicious - Aggressive, dangerous, or fierce in nature.
The guard dog looked vicious, but it was surprisingly gentle with children.
Scruffy - Untidy, shabby, or messy in appearance.
The little puppy looked scruffy after running around in the muddy backyard.
Dodgy - Dishonest, untrustworthy, or unreliable; shaky.
The shopkeeper gave a dodgy excuse when asked about the product's warranty.
Rascal - A mischievous or naughty person or animal.
The little kitten is a rascal who loves hiding under the couch.
Confronted - Faced someone directly, especially in an argumentative or challenging manner.
The mother confronted the neighbor who had taken her child's bicycle.
Malicious - Intending to harm, hurt, or cause trouble to someone.
She had no malicious intent when she made the joke, though it sounded insensitive.
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