Christmas will never be the same again for the Kilioni family of Votua village, Nadroga.

On Saturday night, they lost their only son, 30-year-old Sakiusa Kilioni.

Only 22 days ago, he had married Esita of Tagaqe Village in an elaborate wedding ceremony at the Votua Village ground.

Most of their wedding and traditional gifts still fill their living room.

Esita’s anguish and pain are only visible through her tears.

They had planned a quiet Christmas at home.

On their wedding day, November 20, 2021. Esita Kilioni and her late husband Sakiusa Kilioni.

“I miss him so much,” she said.

A Police report said her late husband was driving towards Votua Village from Korolevu. At the Naibale Settlement bend, it is alleged that he could not negotiate the bend.

The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a roadside food store.

The alleged incident occurred after 6pm on Saturday night.

The report said Mr Kilioni was rushed to the Sigatoka Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The victim was a former Fiji Corrections Service officer.

His mother, Savaira Kilioni said Saki was their only son and they were concerned about his departure for a job on Saturday morning.

“He took a job to Namada Village where he had met some of his friends on the way.”

“A relative came and told us that he saw my son driving the car with loud music on.”

Mrs Kilioni’s motherly instinct kicked in.

“I was really concerned so I asked Saki’s uncle to go and look for him and bring the car key away from him.”

“After a while someone came and told me that there had been an accident not far away from us and the vehicle involved was a Hilux twin cab.”

Savaira Kilioni holding a photo of her late son Sakiusa Kilioni. Photo: Mereleki Nai

“I went to the scene with my husband, and we couldn’t get out of the vehicle when we saw the condition of it.”

Yesterday morning Mrs Kilioni found herself asking her husband whether Saki was really gone.

She said her son was a kind-hearted person and was well aware of himself and his links in the village and to his relatives.

“I really miss my boy.”

The road death toll stands at 23 compared to 37 for the same period last year.

A postmortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.

Feedback: mereleki.nai@fijisun.com.fj