Memories Memon!

A year ago Struga lost a great man, a man who gave so much Struga, ostriches and not only. We all lost our friend, friend, journalist, publicist, interpreter, the incomparable researcher, Mehmet Latif. We lost Memo!
We lost him only physically because his deeds and memories of him still live among us. He is still part of our conversations at various tables and events. We remember it every day. And we don't cry. We laugh every time we remember it. We laugh at his jokes. We laugh because Memo left us with such memories.
Mehmet Latifi left an indelible mark on the memories of all those who knew him. Leave behind good deeds, proverbs and interesting events.
Regardless of age, he carried out his work with passion from a young man who had just found the motive of life.
His connection with the history of Qazim Bey Vlora and his descendants was magical. He was the man who kept in touch with them on a daily basis. With General Edip Ohrin, with his daughter Mira, me nipin Landi. I cannot forget the pleasant relationship with one of the descendants of Ismail Qemal Vlora, Ariana, who worked in one of the branches of the Albanian Post. How painful – he said insulting Albanian politicians – how much this family gave to Albania, while their descendants live in exile, be unemployed or work in the post office.
I had the good fortune to know and meet all these people in person, arms Memos. We could not go to Tirana without visiting the General. He could not move outside the apartment where he lived with his daughter, so we went there. Memo felt at home. It went with so much emotion, so much so that he seemed to be going to visit his parent, his brother or someone very close to him and that he had met for years. And when the General passed away at a young age, the grief in Memo's eyes was easily discernible.

He remained hostage “bag”. Bags that Qazim Bey Qemal Vlora has always carried with him. Ismail Qemali's youngest son and Secretary of his Government. Qazim Vlora had lived in Struga and was married to the mother of General Edip Ohrid. Even Dashman (Dashamirin) don't forget to mention it. Oedipus' brother. Both brothers had been valuable military figures, one founder of the Albanian Aviation and the other Commander of the Pashaliman submarine base.
Let's go back to the bag. This bag that Qazim Bey Vlora did not take out of his hand either when he ate bread or when he slept. Bags that after his death and after the Yugoslav police services raided the house where he lived, had disappeared without a trace. Memo's suspicions were that in that bag was the original Declaration of Independence of the Albanian State and other documents from the First Albanian Government.
The search for these documents and the great desire to see them forced Memo to visit the archives of the former Yugoslavia.. In some attempts he only approached, but did not find them. One more time – said – there are many archives, divided into periods, you need more permission to see it. Unfortunately, he did not make it to the end. His wife's illness prevented him and then his illness that physically removed him from us and from his mission..

On the frequent trips we had for a period I heard many stories and life events from Memoja. I enjoyed the conversations and jokes between him and his friend, Muamer, Gjirokastra groom, on the way to Gjirokastra to meet family members of teacher Myfit Sinojmeri. We also visited the house where he was born. We also went to Zhitoshe in Dolneni, to meet former Sinojmer students and see the place where he had lost his life.

How many events, how much energy this man had. He answered delightfully “My teeth chatter”, whenever his age came to the fore.
We will always remember the Memo of Jokes, his bike, small camera, knitted cigarettes, glasses. Ah please, even his computer, which he carried behind his bicycle, and which he carried from week to week to fix.. It often broke down.

Unforgettable remains the memory of you Memo!

Write, Albrim Hoxha.