The World was ravenously ready to watch the drama. To hear the astronaut's first words after he was collected from a seething ocean. To watch open mouthed as Frank Bowman told them what it was like to look back at them, all together. Instead, as the recovery craft got close to the bobbing capsule, and Frank Bowman emerged, he tried to shout something as he waved his arms madly. The cameras stopped rolling. Pre prepared newspaper headlines, suppose to be full of quotes, data and feelings, were instead full of what? Where, and whys? Newly formed NASA (with a hovering military) said there had been a health problem, and that Frank had been rushed to hospital. One paper reported that he had gone to The Holy Cross, disease control, but quickly corrected the story, and suggested he had a collapsed lung.
A week passed. No Frank Bowman. Where was the hero, the people needed him, he had been built up so much, they positively desired him. People were getting twitchy. Eager for their man and the new stories he could tell. What exactly was wrong? He remained secluded in what had become known as 'Frank's Tank', rumours abounded, some humorous: -
"He has gone on holiday!"
"He has defected to the Reds!"
Some thought provoking:-
"He met God."
"He has seen us all at once and hates us."
Some ideas about his absenteeism were cleverly creative, and one in particular made Frank spit his pea and ham soup out.
"He hasn't been in space at all, he has been in a submarine and when he appeared in that capsule, he felt guilty and tried to tell us."
By Andy Parker
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