Neori Vuidreketi Makoto’s single wish is for his younger brother, Semi Lete Makoto, to return home to his family.
Semi Makoto, aged 24, tragically died in the Intensive Care Unit at Aspen Hospital in Lautoka following an accident last week. He was an employee at Burger King located in Martintar, Nadi. The accident occurred while he was riding his bike from his home in Malolo, Nadi, to his workplace, when he was struck by a bus near his job site.
Police spokesperson Wame Bautolu confirmed that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that the bus was traveling at high speed when it hit Semi Makoto. According to the witness, “The man was not wearing a helmet. He must have had a serious head injury, judging by the distance between where he was hit and where he landed.”
Upon receiving news of his brother’s hospital admission, Neori initially thought the injuries were minor. “But when I came to the hospital, I was shocked to see the condition he was in. He was in a coma. The whole of last week I kept on going to the ICU, hoping he would open his eyes and we could speak to each other again,” he said.
Doctors eventually declared that Semi was brain dead, and the family was told to come and say their final goodbyes. “All I wished for was that he could recover and take care of his small family. He has one child who is a year old,” Neori shared.
Semi Makoto was saving money with dreams of buying land and starting a farm. He was the youngest of three siblings, and Neori described him as a very hardworking and quiet person whose actions spoke louder than words. “He doesn’t speak much, but the work that he does speaks a lot about him. We are very close to each other. I miss my brother,” he said.