Daughter of MH370 chief steward expresses sorrow online on 2nd anniversary, other families seek closure

(THE STRAITS TIMES) The eldest daughter of chief steward Andrew Nari, who was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, has taken to Instagram to express her sorrow on the eve of the second anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

"Before you left, remember when you were standing by the door, asking me if I wanted to follow to send you to the airport, but I said no because I was tired?

"I never thought that was the last goodbye," said Maira Elizabeth Nari in her grief-filled posts on Monday (March 7).

Her father was among the crew of the ill-fated flight, which vanished during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

Maira said that last scene with her father was still vivid in her mind, adding that she had slept early that night, and only found out what had happened to MH370 from a friend the next afternoon while at work.

"If only I followed," she lamented, wondering if things might have been different if she had done so, or if it would have turned out the same.

"The most unexpected thing can be the best and beautiful in life, but the most unexpected thing can also be your worst nightmare," she said.

Maira recounted how her mother used to tell her and her brother to always properly say goodbye to her father and anyone else as anything could happen.

"I wish I could turn back time but sadly it's impossible. I can only change to be better and learn from my mistakes.

"As of for now, have a safe flight, goodnight," she said.

For policeman Zamani Zakaria, 58, his family is still pining for his son Mohd Razahan and daughter-in-law Norli Ahma, who were on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The couple were on their honeymoon.

Mr Zamani said his wife would even speak to the pictures of their son sometimes.

Mr Razahan. who is the eldest of four siblings. had been saving money for two years for the trip, he said.

"We are still hoping for the plane to be found.

"We can't accept anything until it (the plane) is found," said Mr Zamani, who wants the search for the plane to continue.

Ms Nicolette Gomes, 30, whose father, cabin crew Patrick Gomes, was on board the flight, said she tried to move on with life but then her five-year-old son Raphael would ask her about his grandfather.

"He wants to know when is grandpa coming back. Why does it take so long for the airplane to come back to Malaysia?

"I have to put on a smiley face. And I say 'not long now, he will come back'.

"It's very sad. It's very upsetting," she said.

Ms Gomes said the only thing the families wanted was the truth of what happened and where the Boeing 777 was.

"Closure comes a long way. Closure is knowing where the plane is and what happened to the plane.

"That is the ultimate closure that we want right now," she said.

Indian national K.S. Narendran, 52, whose wife Chandrika Sharma was on the plane, said it was important to find out what happened so that air travel would be safer than what it is today.

"Not knowing is not an easy position to be in," he said.

Flight MH370, carrying 239 people including passengers and crew, is believed to have ended its journey in the southern Indian Ocean.