his travels. Then, too, the Bojaxhiu household was often crowded with
the visitors who regularly stopped by to talk business or politics with
Nikola.
Drana Bojaxhiu, or Nana Loke (“Mother Soul”), as the children called
her, was a traditional Albanian housewife who looked after her husband
and children. During the day, she cooked, cleaned, and mended clothing.
As soon as Nikola returned home, though, all work stopped. Drana put on
a clean dress, combed her hair, and made sure the children were present-
able to greet their father.
Like her husband, Drana was a stern taskmaster and had little patience
with foolish behavior. One of the few stories that Gonxha told about her
early life illustrated her mother’s attitude toward what she considered fri-
volity. One evening as the children were chattering, their conversation
grew sillier. Drana listened but said nothing. At last she left the room and
turned off the main electric switch, plunging the house into darkness.
Gonxha concluded: “She told us that there was no use wasting electricity
so that such foolishness could go on.”^1 Drana passed this trait on to her
youngest daughter; as an adult, Mother Teresa objected to wasted time
and wasted words.
Agnes Gonxha resembled her mother in other ways. A bit plump like
Drana, Agnes also had her mother’s oval face and distinctive nose; she
was unmistakably her mother’s daughter. Her brother recalled that
Gonxha was also generous and helpful, even though her behavior some-
times got her into trouble. Gonxha, for instance, helped Lazar to scale the
cupboard and steal their mother’s jam or desserts. Needless to say, Drana
did not approve.
FAITH AND FATHERLAND—FE Y ATDHE
All the Bojaxhiu children learned early the idea “Faith and Father-
land,” or “Fe Y Atdhe.” This ideal became deeply embedded in their
thinking, and remained strong throughout their childhood. The strong
nationalist pride of the Albanian people, personified in their father,
Nikola Bojaxhiu, became a constant in their lives. Lazar remembered his
father telling him and his sisters never to forget whose children they were
and from what background they came. Besides opening his home to polit-
ical discussion, Nikola also provided financial assistance to the cause of
Albanian independence. November 28, 1912, when Gonxha was only
two years old, marked a joyous day in the Bojaxhiu household. On that
day the Albanians declared their independence, and Nikola and other pa-
triots played and danced well into the night.
SKOPJE 5