BIG ‘FAMILY’ FAREWELL
‘girl with a big heart’
Karalaini, a girl with a big heart led a successful and disciplined life, said her emotional father, Sakiusa Tubuna yesterday as he farewelled her one last time.
As tears rolled down his face, Mr Tubuna recalled the fateful day he lost his daughter.
Karalaini Tubuna, 22, had died in a motor vehicle accident along the Nabouwalu Highway at around 6pm on Sunday.
The Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Suva was packed to capacity as family, friends and former Adi Cakobau School and University of the South Pacific fellow students gathered to say their final goodbye. Karalaini attained her degree in Sociology and Geography and Postgraduate Diploma in Climate Change.
She planned to pursue a Masters Degree in Climate Change next year, and dreamed of working for the United Nations alongside her father.
Mr Tubuna in his eulogy said his daughter would always let him know where she was.
He said it was part of the discipline that was instilled in her by him.
“On Sunday morning, I texted her ‘location’ with a question mark, she
responded by saying Savusavu,” he said.
“At midnight I texted her again, there was no reply and then I called her phone, there was no answer.” Mr Tubuna recalled how he used to challenge Karalaini to do well in her studies, so she could go with him on overseas trips.
He said even though short, Karalaini had led a successful and disciplined life.
“In 2015, she said she wanted to
go to Bali with me. I told her to get good marks and I will take her. She burned the midnight oil,” he said. “When she received her grades, she emailed it to me with the heading – Welcome to Bali.”
“My Karalaini had a big heart,” he said.
She was laid to rest in the Tamavua Village cemetery.