The first time Eroni Cirikidaveta laid eyes on his son was when his wife showed him a baby scan picture in New Zealand. Sadly, circumstances led to Eroni not being there when he was finally born, as the Nabaitavo, Naitasiri, man was forced to return to Fiji.
It took 24 years for them to finally meet and when Eroni hugged his son, Fijian Drua lock Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, for the first time on Tuesday night, he could not control his emotions.
Speaking to The Fiji Times last night, Eroni shared how they finally got to meet.
“I was walking past Holiday Inn and noticed people standing outside,” he said.
“I asked a by-stander what all the commotion was about and he said that the Fijian Drua team was in the hotel. ”
I met Manasa Saulo (tighthead prop) outside the hotel and we were chatting in the Naitasiri dialect.
“When he and Peni Matawalu (scrum half) were about to go up, I asked them if they could pass on my well-wishes to my boy Te Ahiwaru.
“I told them that if he asked, just say that his father sends his regards.”
Moved with emotion, Matawalu told Eroni to wait with Saulo in the lobby while he went up to Te Ahiwaru. “Saulo took me into the conference room and told me to wait for Te”.
Eroni said that as soon as he saw his son, he felt like he was finally complete — that something that had been missing in his life had finally been found.
“As soon as I saw Te Ahiwaru walk through the doors, I stood up, shaking, and I couldn’t help it, my eyes just filled with tears.
“I hugged him as tightly as I could. “I told him how I was longing for this moment, only the Lord knows how eagerly I had looked forward to this moment.
“Then he said ‘I missed you dad’, and those words just melted me.
“Te told me that he would be free at around 9pm and I told him that no matter however long he took, I would wait for him.
“I thank God for giving me this opportunity and I cannot wait to watch my son as they take on the Highlanders at the stadium on Saturday “.
Te Ahiwaru is expected to feature for the Drua and his performance against the Blues could probably cement him a place in the run-on side.
