The Professor's Daughter

Despite her father’s battling career, Maria’s family had always lived in a respectable building. Their family home back in Rostock, the very same that Thomas Leighton had once been a guest at, had been right on the Warnow river that ran through the city. The actual house had been nothing special but the garden was the place that held all of the memories for the Ludwig’s.

The Professor working in the shade of the gazebo from the deep blue sky; Anne Ludwig attending to her tulips and oleanders, the colours strong and rich; and Maria running down to the river, the grass spiking her bare feet before plunging into the cool water at the end.

But there had been debts in Germany; big debts that the family had been unable to pay and with no other choice the Rostock home had been sold.

Looking around the building once more, Maria knew that this new house was far from ideal for her mother and father who had had their daughter late in life. The walls, pastel blue, looked grey and depressing and the garden that would have been cherished was non-existent. It was the upstairs apartment of a terraced house squeezed between two others in Hainsbury, London with only four rooms in total; a kitchen-living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms.

It was cramped and uninviting and Maria hated it completely but there was nothing she could do. Complaining to her parents wouldn’t have helped and they were hardly pleased about the situation either. It was easy to tell as Anne Ludwig stood ironing in the kitchen, her shoulders folded forwards as she tried to not think of the beautiful home they once had.

“Classes have gone well so far.” Maria spoke to her mother in an attempt to distract her.

“Good.” Her reply was short and Maria knew she was not fully concentrating on her words.

“Most of the professors seem to know I am father’s daughter.” Maria tried further.

“And is that a good thing do you think?”

Maria sat on her hands. “I do not know yet.”

The pair fell silent and part of Maria wanted to carry on talking, to bring up her meeting with Thomas Leighton, to ask her mother if father knew that Leighton was one of her Professor’s or if she should tell him that that was the case. But what good would that do? At the moment, talking of father’s career was a bit of a taboo in the household and Leighton’s existence was not worth mentioning.

“When is your next class?” Mother asked absentmindedly.

Maria, forgetting the time, jumped up and kissed her mother swiftly on the cheek.

“Now. I won’t be back late.”

“Stay safe.” Anne called as Maria grabbed her coat from the back of the door and removed the pair of socks from it’s pocket.

“Tschüs Papa.” She called but there was no reply and Maria left without waiting.

It took just the two busses to arrive at the university and Maria spotted Susie by the Physics rooms. Susie had offered to take Maria ‘under her wing’: Susie’s uncle was the Head of Science Studies at the university and she implied that she had practically grown up on the campus.

“You are late for being early.” Susie grinned.

“I know, I know.” Maria replied, rushing past Susie and down the corridor.

Susie jogged to catch up with her. “Why do we need to be so early anyway?”

“Because Professor Leighton told me not to be late.”

“And you always do as you’re told.”

“No. But this time I think I need to.”

“How come?”

The pair arrived at the room and realizing it was empty, took their seats from yesterday. Maria didn’t turn to Susie though she could feel Susie’s eyes on her as a couple more students filed in.

“I do not want him finding fault in me.” Maria said in a small voice as if ashamed.

“You regard his opinion highly?” Susie asked confused.

“Far from it.” More people entered and sat down. “But it is clear he thinks very little of me.”

“How could that be? You only met him yesterday.”

“Just call it a hunch.” She sighed.

Maria still did not know what to make of Professor Leighton, though her opinion was building. When it had all kicked off with her father and him, she had been too young to fully understand what was happening but she had known she hated him. He had taken the smile from her father’s face and the excited twinkle from his eyes.

But as she grew older she began to appreciate that not every theory ever thought of was correct, Einstein was wrong about the Static Universe and so was her father.

The class was full by now and it was five past already when Professor Leighton strode into the room, dumping even more books on his table before logging onto the computer.

“Alex?” He began the register, adjusting his glasses and rubbing his eye tiredly.

Susie leant over to Maria, hiding her mouth as she whispered. “Then show him you aren’t someone to think little of.”

Maria glanced at Susie and smiled briefly before turning back to the front.

“Right then class, let’s begin.”

Maria raised her hand. “You missed me out, Sir.”

Sighing, Leighton went back to the computer screen. “Well we wouldn’t want that now, would we? Your name?”

Startled Maria responded as she had yesterday. She would have thought he’d know who she was more then he’d know anyone else in the class.

“It appears you are not currently on this system yet, go to reception and tell them the case.” He spoke, his eyes focusing on Maria and making her feel more uncomfortable then she should have felt. Maria nodded. ”Unless there are no more interruptions, we shall finally start.”

Maria did her best to keep up with the class though they were covering topics that she had only glanced at back in Germany. Her attempt to show Professor Leighton that she wasn’t as stupid as she believed he thought she was, did not go well. And when they were reading from their textbooks, she found herself peering over Susie’s shoulder.

At that point, Maria was upset. She was new to this university, she was new to this whole country and everyone except Susie seemed to be ignoring that fact.

The class ended and Maria stepped nervously to Leighton’s desk and waited. It was a couple moments before the Professor acknowledged her and looked up.

“Yes?”

“I don’t have a textbook.” Maria indicated to the table of books between them, it really was quite a mess.

“Right, well…” Professor Leighton stood up and leant over the table, rummaging for Maria’s textbook. “You’ll need this one.” He handed her a thick book that looked pretty heavy. “And this one will be helpful.” Another book.

Maria watched as his large hands pushed books aside to unearth the ones beneath. She could take him in better now that she was this close: see the little wrinkles emerging at the edge of his eyes and the deep line that his lips made when they closed whilst he talked.

She was shaken from her staring as two more books were thumped into her hands. Her cheeks quickly felt hotter as if Leighton had actually caught her staring.

“That should do it.” He finished, smoothing down his shirt as he stood back up again straight.

“You’d think so.” Maria joked in a quiet voice as her arms began to ache a little.

Leighton’s eyes shot up to her and any kindness from helping out disappeared.

“Your sarcasm is not appreciated, Miss Ludwig. After all, it is the lowest form of wit.” He stated whilst closing the lid to his briefcase and heading off.

Maria looked on as he left. But the highest from of intelligence, she wanted to retort and immediately thought better of it.

“Hurry up, Maria. We have to take you to reception before the next class and if you care as much about Professor Davidson as you do about Leighton then you’ll want to be early.” Susie called from the door way.

She hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder and held onto the textbooks tightly whilst making her way over.

Defensively, Maria muttered under her breath. “You are mistaken. I care nothing for Professor Leighton.”