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Dearest Fes,
Uhhh, I assumed we agreed we’d grasp round and do what we would have liked to do?
Rattling it hurts. Keep in mind our PIPC (Pacific Islanders’ Presbyterian Church) youth chief days? Sportscamp? Our CCF (Christian Group Fellowship) occasions? Campus Campaign for Christ, and Pacific College students for Christ Affiliation actions? Keep in mind our schooling lectures? Our phonetics courses?
Keep in mind we all the time talked about how we might make strikes to make sure our college was an inviting place for our college students? Properly, you probably did simply that, and naturally you have been all the time ‘further’ and took that dream, all our goals, to Parliament. Your dream discovered you brother! You have been in all of the related areas. Sadly, these areas and so many extra, received’t be the identical with out you.
In an ENG201 lecture you requested me how I used to be feeling, I stated I used to be drained, so that you pulled out your Bible and identified a Scripture, Isaiah 40:31 “However those that hope within the Lord will renew their energy. They’ll soar on wings like eagles; they may run and never develop weary, they may stroll and never be faint.”
Your love for God ran deep and was unwavering. Nevertheless, you have been fortunate to catch me on a comparatively good day, as a result of some days, I wished to be indignant, as a result of, properly, I simply wished to be, and on these days, you’d joke round with me and, yeah, okay, you finally made me smile nevertheless it was nonetheless annoying all the identical. On the time of my PhD commencement ceremony, you have been the president of AUSA. You have been on stage, they known as out my title and also you walked to the entrance of the stage to fa’aula me (adorn me with a lei). I vividly bear in mind; we hugged and giggled slightly and we checked out one another as if to say, ‘we did it’, and we have been each brimming with delight. But on the similar time, we scoffed, as if to say – yeah however how?! Hahaha!
I nonetheless replicate on that dialog we had the place you talked about you’d be working for mayor, and migrating to the Inexperienced Celebration. You probed my ideas that day to achieve a greater understanding of the Pasifika rainbow neighborhood. We talked at size about my journey and my experiences in navigating a number of worlds as a Tama’ita’i Sāmoa (a Sāmoan girl) from a robust Christian background, a NZ-born Pacific particular person, an instructional and a brown girl chief. I shared with you my coronary heart that day, extra so, than every other, and we wept. I’ll always remember your response. You stated you hoped and prayed that your daughters would in the future develop as much as be like me.
THAT shook me! You stated you wished to lift queens and also you reassured me that I used to be their excellent function mannequin. That shocked me much more! As a result of it didn’t matter to you anymore, who they might look as much as. You actually made an effort to remodel your mindset, beliefs and attitudes in direction of same-sex marriage. I had a complete new stage of respect for you.
These have been warming sentiments on the time. Now, I take into account it to be some of the stunning compliments I’ve acquired. It hits totally different now, Fes. We talked about gender identities, girls’s empowerment, management in Western-dominated areas and our households, our mums particularly. You raved about your daughters Kaperiela and Asalemo, and or course, Fia, your stunning spouse. Come to think about it, I can’t ever recall a time the place you didn’t converse fondly of them. You’d all the time mild up on the mere point out of their names. I’ll examine in on them, okay. My, my, how we’ve grown.
Your sense of humour was a vibe and the best way you engaged with all walks of life has all the time been admired. You crossed the veil doing what you have been born to do, and do greatest, and that’s to serve the folks. You might be sorely missed Fes. The world is fairly grim with out you in it. I promise we’ll stick with it the work you began. Fes, don’t fear, we’ve bought you. Thanks for gifting us you! This humble boy from Otara who grew as much as be a mighty man of the folks.
Malo le tautua. Malo le tauata’i. Alofa tele atu mo oe ma ia tafi mala lau malaga. Till we meet once more my good friend.
Jemaima Tiatia-Siau can be delivering a tribute to Fa’anānā Efeso Collins at a memorial service for College workers, college students and alumni, at Fale Pasifika, Wynyard Road, 27 February, 5pm.
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