Professor Waldmann

I am ashamed to admit it, but I soon forgot my promise to my mother. At first I wrote every day. Then as I spent more time on my studies, I wrote fewer and fewer letters. I knew that my family would be worrying about me, but my desire for knowledge made me selfish and insensitive.

Professor Waldmann was an old man, yet his mind was as sharp as a razor. What he said excited me because I could see he was about to make a discovery that we would change the way we see the world forever. After the first lecture, I decided to speak to the professor and ask him to let me help him in his research. In order to really help him, though, I first had to study every paper he had written. For the next two months I worked night and day reading his research writings. With every word I read, I felt I was closer to knowing the secret of life.

When I had finished reading the last paper, I went to see the professor. The professor lived and worked on the top floor of one of the university buildings in Ingolstadt. I was very nervous as I climbed the old wooden stairs. The door was open, so I walked in. I called his name, but there was no answer. I went straight into his laboratory. No one was there. Although I knew it was wrong, I wanted to see how far he had gone with his research. His work was like a puzzle with some of the pieces still missing.

“Frankenstein”. His clear deep voice echoed around the room. I jumped with fright and turned towards him. He looked angry, and I saw at once that he was very ill. “Frankenstein, have you come to spy on your professor? Or are you here simply to pay a sick old man a visit?” “I had no idea you were ill, Professor. If I had known, I…” “You came to learn my secrets. Don’t you realize the danger of what you are doing? Do you think you can take my place?” “No, Professor. I simply want to offer my help. “Offer your help! You think you are very clever”. “Professor, you know I’m your best student, possibly the best student you’ve ever had. Why won’t you…” “That is the trouble. You know too much”. “I… don’t understand.” “I know you have learned everything that has taken me all my life to discover. I also know that you can wee where the last piece of the puzzle should go and I can’t, Frankenstein, I can’t.” “Why, Professor? I can help you. Together we can work more quickly.” “No, Frankenstein. My life is over. For weeks now I have hardly been able to get out of bed. In less than a month I will be dead. I need at least two more years to complete my research”.

I said nothing. It was easy to see that he wouldn’t live long. “Take me back to my room.” When he was back in bed, he spoke to me again. “Frankenstein, I am going to destroy my work.” I was so shocked I could not speak for some time. Finally, I said: “But, but, Professor, a whole lifetime’s work! You can’t…” “It’s my work and I will do what I like with it.” “But why?” “Because it is dangerous.” “Is it dangerous to find out the meaning of life?” “No. What is dangerous is to be able to create life.” “But think of what this will mean to medical research. It’s a revolution!” “Yes, but if the young people get hold of it… No. I must destroy everything before I dies. You understand, don’t you?”

My mind began to work very fast. I had to stop him from destroying his work. Them I thought of a way. I have an amazing memory, greater than even the professor suspected. I would try to remember everything as we destroyed it and write it down later. “You are right, Professor. I was wrong but now I understand. I willhelp you destroy your work.” I could see that he did not believe me. “But how do I know you will do it? “I have misjudged you, Frankenstein. Leave me now and come back tomorrow. I am tired”. I worked with the professor for the next two weeks. In this time I not only learnt everything that he had discovered, but I also saw how close he was the breaking the code of life.

The day he died he called me to his bedside. “We have destroyed my work. Now you must forget everything that you have seen. Swear it.” I muttered something to myself and he seemed satisfied. Then he lay back and never spoke again.

(This story was told for a period of five days. During that time Frankenstein was hardly able to speak for more than a minute without a rest. At times he could say no more than a few words, but slowly the terrible story was told. This is a warning to those who think that they’re like God, have the right to give life and take it away).
I spent my childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. I had everything that a child could want: a mother who adored me, two younger brothers, Ernest and William, who admired me, and a perfect friend, Henry Clerval, who was possibly the most loving faithful friend that anyone could hope to have. I also had a sister, Elizabeth, who was not my real sister but a girl my parents adopted when she was very young, because her family was too poor to look after her. Elizabeth was four years younger than me, and although we were like brother and sister, a love grew between us that was much greater than the love a brother and a sister usually feel for each other. Finally, there was Justine, a loyal and caring servant, who was more like a sister to me than a maid.
As I was growing up, two things happened which changed me forever. The first thing happened one day as I was walking in the mountains around Geneva. Although it had been a beautiful sunny day, it suddenly became very dark and I saw lightning in the sky. I looked for a tree to shelter under because I knew it would soon start raining. Eventually, I saw a large tree with strong branches covered in leaves. I was only a few yards away from it when the tree was struck by lightning. It burst into flames and burnt down in a few seconds. This experience made me realize the incredible power of nature. I began to think that if this power could destroy life, it could also create life. At this point in my life I decided that I wanted to understand that power and find a way of using it. Somehow, I was sure that the mystery of life itself was in that power.
The second thing that changed my life was my mother’s death. I loved her very much. She was the kindest and purest person I’ve ever known. She saw life as a gift from God. It was her love that kept our family very close. During the last few weeks of her life, I stayed with her the whole time. One day, as I was reading to her, she took my hand and gently pulled me towards her. As she looked at me her eyes were, as always, full of love and gentleness.
She stopped for a moment to find the right words. She was very weak and could only speak in a whisper.
“Victor, you must take my place now. You should keep our family together and look after your brothers. You love Elizabeth and you know that I have always wanted you to marry. As soon as you finish your studies, I want you to promise to come back and make her happy, as I know she will make you happy.”
After speaking these few words she fell back on her pillow, exhausted. Three days later she died with a smile on her lips, sure that I would keep my promise. Thank God she never lived to see what happened to her loved ones.
I was too young, and too selfish perhaps, to understand the importance of what my mother had asked of me. All I wanted was to get away from that place of sadness and concentrate on my studies.
That summer I sat my university entrance exams and did brilliantly. I got the highest marks in the country and won a scholarship to study natural sciences at the University of Ingolstadt, one of the best universities in Switzerland. I had heard about the famous Professor Waldmann and the research he had been doing there. Some said he was about to discover the secret of life.
I knew it was difficult for my father, who had still not got over my mother’s death, but I could see that Elisabeth could help him more than I could and so I decided to leave for Ingolstadt as soon as possible. I packed my bags and said goodbye to my family, promising to write often.
When I went to kiss Elisabeth, she held me away from her and looked at me.
“You will write Victor, won’t you?”
“Of course I will, my dearest. Believe me.”
“I feel there is a fire inside you that will not let you rest. I am afraid it will burn you up unless you are careful. Promise you will be careful, Victor. We have lost our darling mother, and nothing can replace her, but we are still here and need you just as much as she did. Don’t forget that.”
She smiled and hugged me tightly.
“God be with you, Victor. May he keep you safe and bring you quickly back to us.”
I arrived in Ingolstadt 24 hours later.