Dean Vanheuven was standing by the hand-rail at the edge of the decking, running his eyes over the crowd. They all looked to be NASA employees or their plus-ones. Although there were a few of the women he didn\u2019t recognize and one man he couldn\u2019t name. Their hostess, Sian Sobell, kissed her husband Harry as he worked on the grill and wandered over to Dean. \u201cIt looks as though congratulations are in order,\u201d he said with a smile, \u201cWhen\u2019s the baby due? Harry hasn\u2019t said a word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sian placed one protective hand on the bump. \u201cEarly June, so we\u2019ve only started telling people today.\u201d With her eyes twinkling, she added, \u201cI\u2019m glad he\u2019s as good at keeping our secrets as he is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dean felt a slight flush come to his face at this sally. He decided not to respond. \u201cWho\u2019s the blonde with Gordo?\u201d he asked, gesticulating with his beer towards a bench seat across the yard. Gordo Cooper lounged there, his arm around the shoulders of a pretty young woman. Both were smiling and chatting animatedly, focused almost entirely on each other. Dean was wearing the loudest Hawaiian shirt he owned but Cooper was wearing a garment that drowned Dean\u2019s out completely. Dean was surprised Cooper\u2019s shirt hadn\u2019t caused complaints about a noise violation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh. Officially, she\u2019s a cousin visiting from Florida, Jenny.. Jenny Smoles, I think,\u201d answered Sian, following Dean\u2019s gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact that Cooper\u2019s marriage had failed before he joined NASA had become an open secret. After the skill and heroism of his first flight had made him a national hero, Cooper didn\u2019t care too much about maintaining the image NASA insisted upon. Cooper\u2019s flight with Pete Conrad in Gemini 5 had cemented his position. Hence Cousin Jenny and the others that had gone before her. Rumour said Trudy Cooper didn\u2019t care but was getting on with her own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dean passed over the relaxed scene and back to Sian Sobell, glowing vitality and calm assurance. He was struck by how she, a Black woman, was somehow slotting in and being accepted into Harry\u2019s predominantly White world with effortless grace. \u201cYou\u2019re a remarkable woman, Mrs Sobell,\u201d he found himself saying then blushed at being so crass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes twinkled. \u201cOh, you have no idea, sugar,\u201d she replied, laughter in her Southern drawl, \u201cNo idea at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overhead, a fighter jet on a training exercise flew high overhead. The astronauts all looked skyward and tracked its\u2019 progress. Dean looked too, glad of the distraction, the excuse to drag his eyes away from Sian Sobell. The plane banked and dived in mock attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dive reminded Dean that, several thousand miles away, other men were flying similar jets over Vietnam, dropping tons of bombs and napalm on a near-invisible enemy below. It was hard to imagine, in spite of the near-nightly news items about the conflict. It was too far removed from the relaxed scene he was looking at. He knew better than most that the military were pressing for the involvement of ground troops, fighting troops rather than just the advisers sent so far. If that happened, there would be even more pressure on NASA\u2019s budget. He prayed that it wouldn\u2019t come to that, as much for the damaged lives he knew would inevitably accrue as for the impact on the space program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dean Vanheuven was standing by the hand-rail at the edge of the decking, running his eyes over the crowd. They all looked to be NASA employees or their plus-ones. Although there were a few of the women he didn\u2019t recognize … Continue reading