百岁老人跨过三世纪 百年前婚姻仍耿耿于怀

Hava Rexha, the oldest woman in Albania at 121 years old, hugs Xhersi, one of her great grandchildren at her home in Shushice, on July 8, 2002.

The wrinkles in Hava Rexha's pale skin were carved by a life spanning three centuries, under Ottoman Turkish rule, Albanian monarchy, Italian occupation.

Next month on August 14th, surrounded by 120 offspring of four generations, she will be 122 years old. Born in 1880, the oldest woman in Albania has lived all her life in Shushice, a picturesque village 60 km south of Tirana. She has not had an easy life, nor has she been too particular about her diet.

She smokes, drinks coffee and likes a lot butter, but says she has never needed a doctor or complained of a headache.

Her one resentment, still fresh in her mind, was being forced to wed at 14 to a man who claimed to be 30 but was "about 60 and married twice before as well." That was in 1894, 20 years before the outbreak of the First World War.

Albania was still occupied by the Turks at the time. Now, 108 years later, the arranged marriage still rankles.

"Do you remember your wedding?" asks her 20-year-old great granddaughter Rita.

"I didn't want a wedding. I didn't love my husband. He was an old man," replies Hava.

She is unable to say who rules Albania these days and has a hard job remembering the names of all her grandchildren. But the unchosen husband still smarts.

Yet they lived together to see Albania proclaim its independence in 1912, and they became subjects of King Zog. They both survived two World Wars. Her husband died in 1950.

Hava spent her life in tough farming jobs and house chores, pasturing livestock, raising kids and never taking a break. A devout Muslim who never touched alcohol, she gave massages to help barren women conceive and washed the dead before burial. She had six children, of whom four died in early childhood. Only Vule, 80, her youngest daughter still lives. She was born when Hava was 42.

Six months ago, in the twilight of her life, the old woman lost her sight and is no longer able to move without help. But she still likes to talk to her great-great grandchildren who come to cuddle "big nanny" and kiss her seamed cheeks.

三个世纪的漫漫岁月在哈瓦·雷克萨苍白的皮肤上刻满了皱纹。这期间她经历了奥斯曼帝国统治、阿尔巴尼亚君主制，还有意大利统治。

哈瓦四代同堂，身边有120个子孙。到8月14日，她将迎来自己122岁的生日。哈瓦·雷克萨生于1880年，这位阿尔巴尼亚最老的妇人一辈子都生活在地拉那南部60公里处的一个名叫Shushice的风景如画的小村庄里。哈瓦的生活算不上安逸，也没有特别的饮食之道。

她抽烟、喝咖啡，对黄油情有独衷，但是她说她从没看过医生也从来没有过头痛的毛病。

但是让哈瓦一直耿耿于怀的就是当年的那桩婚姻：她在14岁时被迫嫁给了一个自称30岁而实际上"差不多60岁，而且结过两次婚"的男人。当时的情景至今历历在目。那是在1894年举行的，距第一次世界大战爆发20年。

当时，阿尔巴尼亚仍然在土耳其人的统治下。然而时至今日，尽管已经过去108年了，那段包办婚姻仍然让哈瓦感到不满。

她20岁的曾孙女丽塔问她是否还记得自己的婚礼。

哈瓦回答说："我一点也不想结婚，也不爱我丈夫。他是一个老男人。"

哈瓦已经搞不清楚现在谁在阿尔巴尼亚执政，也叫不出她所有后代的名字。但是那个当初并非她自己选择的丈夫仍然是哈瓦心里的一根刺。

尽管如此，他们生活一起，亲历了阿尔巴尼亚1912年的独立，后来又成为佐格一世的臣民，还经历了两次世界大战。哈瓦的丈夫于1950年去世。

哈瓦一生劳碌奔波，农活家务缠身，放牧、养活孩子，几乎从未有过一刻停歇。作为一个虔诚的穆斯林，她从不喝酒。她帮助那些不能生育的妇女，传授给她们有关的知识。她还替死去的人们在下葬前清洗身体。哈瓦有6个子女，其中4个在童年时期不幸夭折。现在只有她最小的女儿武莱还活着。武莱今年已经80岁了，她是哈瓦42岁时生的。

6个月前，垂暮之年的哈瓦失明了，必须靠别人的帮助才能行走。但她仍然喜欢和前来看她的玄孙们聊天。他们都来拥抱"太奶奶"，亲吻她布满皱纹的双颊。