courtesy wikipedia
“Crate all the monkeys. ‘Cept her” Carrying her,cuddling her.
At home Miss Baker learnt arithmetic and alphabet. At work, anything, even in a tube wearing a rubber and chamois jacket and helmet, providing she got cuddles.
Hugging her,tears filled his eyes. John loved her yet capsulised her, attaching oxygen.
Countdown. “Please come back,” he whispered knowing none had survived reentry. 38 gs contorting the face he loved, her body weightless.
“16 minutes, altitude 48o kms.”
” Distance 2,400 kms. Touch-down in Atlantic.” John couldn’t watch. Excited screams. “She’s alive!”
On marrying Big George 2 years later she wished she was still a flying monkey.
Charli’s prompt this week immediately sent me back to childhood to a book I loved about Little Miss Baker. I think it was called Space Monkey. I had kept it until 3 months ago when I gave it to my 9 year old nephew. I don’t think he was too impressed but this book had me captivated. It was probably the first creative non fiction book I read. Miss Baker was a Peruvian squirrel monkey born 1957 in Peru and ending up in a pet shop in Miami. From there the navy purchased 25 of them and trained them up to be astronauts. 2 years later she and a Rhesus monkey were the first animals to successfully return to earth alive from the American space program. She went on to have two husbands, and a celebrity career finally dying from renal failure at the age of 27 in 1984. My book however did not make it this far into her life. This BOTS (I have no idea whether she had a John in her life and I’m sure that her 17 year marriage to Big George was one she enjoyed. So this is what I would consider a true BOTS. The facts are true, the filling is fiction. For the 25th anniversary of her space flight she was given a rubber duck and that brings to mind President John F Kennedy but that is another story.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Oh, wow. Great BOTS! An I appreciate the clear explanation of based on facts but filling the gaps with fiction. It makes me think much of Rock Creek is BOTS. Interesting how this book made an impression upon you and that you’d one day be writing non-fiction, too. Your humor shows up with the transition to Miss Baker’s perspective on marriage! 😀
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Yes I’m sure a lot of Rock Creek is BOTS. I think the fine distinction between historical fiction and BOTS is that in historical fiction the made up story is (romance, crime, thriller whatever it is) just happens to be set in a particular time in history (with those historical facts being correct but of lesser importance than the story itself). BOTS the story is the history but told in a way that gives it life and its life is made up but the story is factual. I feel a bit guilty for putting those marriage thoughts in Miss Baker’s head. She was probably very happy with Big George.
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oh this is a lovely tale, Irene 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed it LadyLee. 🙂
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Wow! I really enjoyed your story, Irene. How wonderful that Miss Baker made it home alive. If only she’d realised the importance of her role in the advancement of science understanding.
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Thanks Norah. I’m glad she made it home alive as well. I’ve liked spider monkeys ever since although from memory you had a run in with one as did I.
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Irene, this is a wonderful story, as well as the original story of Miss Baker. Well told, I practically held my breath.
When I was a kid and the space program sent Ham into space, I wondered for years what happened to the chimp. I didn’t find out until I became an adult and have always grieved for the poor animal who gave his life for space exploration.
Good to know that some of the monkeys survived their journeys.
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Yes as a child I would have been devastated if Miss Baker had died (though they probably then wouldn’t have written the book) and apparently it was the animals in the space programme that started the animal rights movement. Glad you enjoyed it.
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Ah, here she is too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_in_space
Looking up Miss Baker was interesting too.
Amazing how many animals they’ve put up in space and when they started!
Oh, I put a link in at my post at CR to see the Flying Monkeys of OZ (the first movie).
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And you find how many didn’t come back and apparently was the start of the animal rights movement. Fascinating time that had us all enthralled. Who would be the first to land on the moon and the race was on.
Thanks for the link. I’ll head on over to CR to see the link.
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I was not expecting a happy ending so thank you for that. 😉 Great, nostalgic entry for the prompt this week.
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I doubt that I would have even known about Little Miss Baker had she been a sad ending.
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A super take on the prompt and a sstory once half told… finished nicely. 😇
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Thank you Ellen. Your comment has been a bright spot in the day.
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I’d love a visit we could read a bit drink some tea better still make connections and follow me. 😇 cheeky but worth a try if I enjoy yours you may
Ike some of mine.
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I’ll do just that Ellen. I warn you though I am a poor visitor at the moment but that will change as comittments lessen.
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Irene any visitor who pays in comments is a great visitor. 😇 look forward to Seeing you when you are able. Have a good week.
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Fascinating piece of history, Irene, I’m glad she made it back to Earth, as so many didn’t.
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Yes I’m glad too Anne. Apparently this is where the animal rights movement started.
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Enjoyed your story!
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Glad you did. Thank you.
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