A Qamea Islander who watched her grandmother chopped by a roofing iron still misses the independent woman.

“I still miss my grandmother,” said 32-year-old Sera Jiale of Dreketi Village on Qamea Island.

Ms Jiale is the granddaughter of Usania Nai, who was killed when the Tropical Cyclone Winston made landfall on February 20 last year.

“I miss my grandmother, she had always been my source of strength, she taught me about life and we had just started classes on how to weave,” she said.

Ms Jiale was close to her grandmother – in fact she was her inspiration.

She recalled the morning she saw her grandmother lying unconscious just steps away from their home.

February 20, 2016 is a day that will always be etched in her mind.

“She was an independent woman and even at the age of 76, lived alone and she refused to move in with my mum who also lives in the village,” Ms Jiale said.

“It was when the winds started getting stronger on that Saturday morning when one of our family members went down to check on her but she said she would come later.”

At the peak of the cyclone, Ms Nai decided to make a run for her granddaughter’s home when she realised, she was not safe anymore in hers.

“My grandmother successfully managed to run a few steps away from her home when a flying piece of roofing iron tore through her shoulder,” Ms Jiale said.

“When that happened, I was watching from our window and at first I thought it was my Aunt and I screamed for my Uncle.

“Little did I know that it was my grandmother who had fallen to the ground.

“It was not until they had brought her to the house when I realised it was her, I rushed to her and we immediately tried to stop her from bleeding.

“Her shoulder (upper torso) was detached from her body except for a bit of skin. It was terrifying and I held back from crying as we tried to save her life.”

The following morning Ms Nai was transported to Taveuni Hospital by boat and later taken to Labasa.

She was air-lifted to Suva but passed away a few days later.

“I miss my grandmother,” a teary eyed Ms Jiale said.

“I wish she was still alive and some days I would picture her walking up to me or seeing her at her home. I miss her so much.”

Ms Nai, a mother of three, was later buried in Suva.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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