THE Narayan children walk one kilometre everyday to school across the Nasilai beach amid pounding giant waves.
This is the result of a rift between their father Robin Narayan and the villagers of Nasilai in Tailevu.
The Narayans, who live at Nasilai Point on the Kiuva-Nasilai beach bought a piece of freehold land from Europeans in the early 1950s, have been stopped by the villagers from using a track which is their only access to the main road.
A team from The Fiji Times visited the family last week to witness first-hand the hardship the Narayan family encountered for the last seven months.
Farmer Robin Narayan, 47, fights to hold back tears as he recalls the suffering they have had to endure.
He said every day the tide would dictate when his children should wake up and when he could take his produce to be sold at the market.
"Sometimes my children will have to leave as early as 6am if it's low tide, otherwise we will try and take them across where they can access the main road to catch the school bus," he said.
"I am really hurt and all these years I have been assisting the villagers of Nasilai, providing them with employment and offering my assistance for free.
"We even help some families plough their farm with the use of my tractor for free, but this is what I get in return. My children come home after school with letters from their schools demanding explanations as to why they are late to school.
"This is beyond my control and what more can I do when this are the same people who I have called family for many years."
Veneeta Chandra, the teacher of youngest son John Narayan, said most times five-year-old John would reach school about 10am with his clothes wet and dirty.
Some Nasilai villagers who wished to remain anonymous said the rift between the Narayan families had started way back because of the differences between their ancestors and Mr Narayan's father.
They said the villagers were only waiting for the right time to take revenge.
Seremaia Waqainabete, a landowner from Kiuva who owns the piece of land where the people of Nasilai live said the land was given to them because of their chiefly role towards the Tui Kiuva, adding, they had approached the villagers several times but to no avail.
However, Commissioner Central Lieutenant Colonel Laisenia Tuitubou said government had intervened after the matter was reported to the Prime Minister's office.
He said the construction of Mr Narayan's road was included in their second quarter project that would begin next month.
He said government had completed the redefinition survey which clearly stated that part of Mr Narayan's boundary had been taken up by the people of Nasilai.
"However, we have solved this problem and we are now in the process of planning the construction of his road," Lt-Col Tuitubou said. He said they would also approach the villagers to reopen the track.