When morning came on February 21, 2016, Loraini Divadra Biaukula combed the shores of Sinuvaca Village in Koro, Lomaiviti, searching for her 10-month-old son, Apisai Vulaono.
The only items she found linking her to him were a Bible and a baby blanket she had been saving as a gift for his first birthday.
Apisai was on his first trip to his father’s village for the traditional “kau mat ani gone” ceremonies.
“I keep seeing his face and how he was taking in salt water,” Ms Biaukula shared.
“10 years later, the pain of losing my son still lingers.”
A tidal wave tore through the village the day before forcing Ms Biaukula to hand baby Apisai to his father.
As they were swept out to sea, she never imagined that would be the last time she would hold him.
She recalled staying in one of the houses with other villagers when strong winds began to blow homes down.
“When the house we sought shelter in with 10 others was hit by a tidal wave, I handed Apisai to his father not knowing that would be the last time I held him.
“I kept telling his father ‘qarauni koya. Varaici koya tiko’.
“That was about 10am.
“The water was deep and we all had to swim to find dry land or something to hang onto, but the wind was still moving around us.
The wind was so strong they could not talk to each other. For several hours, she and her sister-in-law clung onto moving trees while Apisai and his father swam nearby.
“I kept signalling to Apisai’s father, ‘na gone. Na gone’.
“I will always remember seeing him struggling in his father’s arms. They were going underwater and trying to stay afloat.
At one point they separated and when she sighted her husband again, Apisai was missing from his arm.
When she asked, he pointed to the hill for us to get to land first.
“I swam for hours trying to find dry land. We were swimming trying to find our way back until 6 o’clock in the afternoon.”
Once on land they joined others at the school.
“They were crying for my son and his grandmother Makereta Seru. They both did not make it.”
Now working at Nadi International Airport, Ms Biaukula travelled to Senivaca every year until 2024 for a remembrance service the village holds on February 20.
“We have a church service and after we place flowers in the ocean for Apisai and Bubu Makereta.”
