"Isn't it wonderful?" he said after showing Yuri the certificate.
"Yes, it's fine," Yuri agreed. "Six months is a good period.
This way you won't actually be leaving the school so if the worst
comes to the worst you'll be able to come back and carry on for
your diploma."
"I'll never go back to that place," Albert assured him. "I'm
going to take this certificate to the head teacher tomorrow, and
that will be the end of it."
"Don't forget to get a reference in writing from your
mathematics teacher first," Yuri reminded him.
Mr Koch willingly gave Albert the reference he wanted.
"If I say I can't teach you any more, and probably you'll soon
be able to teach me, will that be all right?" he asked.
"That's saying too much, sir," said Albert.
"It's only the truth. But alright. I'll put it more seriously."
It was still a glowing reference, and Mr Koch made the point
that Albert was ready immediately to enter a college or institute
for the study of higher mathematics.
"I'm sorry you're leaving us, although you're wasting your
time in my class," he said.
"It's almost the only class where I'm not wasting my time,"
said Albert. "But how did you know I'm leaving, sir?"
"You wouldn't have asked me for this reference otherwise."
"I thought you'd wonder..."
"There's nothing to wonder about, Einstein. I knew you were
going to leave before you knew yourself."
Albert was puzzled. What did the teacher mean?
He soon found out. Before he had a chance to ask for an
interview with the head teacher, he was summoned to the
head's room.
"Well, it saves me the trouble of having to wait an hour or
two outside," he thought.
He hardly bothered to wonder why he had been sent for, but
vaguely supposed he was to be punished again for bad work
and laziness. Well, he had finished with punishments.
"I'm not going to punish you," the head teacher said, to Albert's
surprise. "Your work is terrible, and I'm not prepared to have you
here any longer, Einstein. I want you to leave the school now."
"Leave school now?" repeated Albert, dazed.
"That is what I said."
"You mean," said Albert, "that I am to be expelled?"
