Norman Troshack

At St. Gabriel's, Norman Troshack was one grade in front of me. He was an altar bay and he was in the choir. I first met Norman in the Bennett school ground while playing softball. We were not close, he was just one of the kids that played there. He played ball well but nothing outstanding. He had some older brothers that sometimes came to play softball. When the older kids came to play we younger kids sat out and watched. If there were not enough players when the older kids played some of the watchers were invited to play, none refused such an invitation. Norman was always asked before I was because he was better. This skill hierarchy was accepted by all. Norman lived on Whittaker near Springwells and his brothers started to play at Wilson school ground because it was bigger. Soon all the older kids went there and we younger kids had free reign at Bennett school ground. Norman continued to play at Bennett, he was just one of the usual kids that showed up to play. Eventually, he left us and went to Wilson with his brothers. In 1940 and 1941 there were a few of the older guys in the neighborhood that joined the Army. Older ball players were becoming scarce and my group got to play all the time. One day after Choir practice, Norman and I began to talk and he walked along with me. I started down Mullane and when we got to Whitaker his route was to turn left to home. He asked me to walk him half way, and I did. We were deeply into a kid conversation, the subject of which I have no recollection. He then said he wnated to buy me a Coke at Cunningham's Drugstore on Springwells. I was shocked at this invitation and we continued to walk past his house and onward to Springwells. When we got Cunningham's we climbed up on the stools and he said he liked cherry Cokes, and bought two. I had never had a cherry Coke and found it delicious. Regular Cokes were five cents but cherry Cokes were six cents. Shortly after we drank the Cokes I said goodbye and went home. I remember thinking at the time how this seemed so strange. None of us kids ever had extra money to treat somebody, why did he do it? Did he learn it from his brothers? I was aware that his father had a good income and his home was better than mine (his house was brick) did he get an allowance? Summer came and I went to Canada for the vacation period. When I came back I no longer went to choir practice and instead got a paper route. I did not see Norman very often and he soon went to Holy Redeemer High School. While I continued to play ball at Bennett he did not come back to play there. I knew it was more fun to play in that larger playground at Wilson. So our lives drifted apart until I never saw him again. I don't know if his family moved away or if it stayed there. A number of families moved for higher wages elsewhere and perhaps that is what happened. Over the years I have remembered his kindness of a cherry Coke and puzzled over why he did it. It was the first time that an associate had ever done that for me. If I could see him today, I would ask him why he did it and how he learned to do that type of kindness.