I grew up in a very small town in northern Ontario that had a dominantly Francophone population. While there were several French Catholic grade schools, there was only the one small English Catholic school. And a few people ended up in classes being taught by a parent.
Such was the case for Michael Kuiack, who was in my class for all the years I spent at St. Patrick's School from grades one through six. Michael's mom, Rita, was our teacher in grade five.
Today is Teacher's Day, and I wanted to write this story down for a couple of reasons, chief of them being the fact that Michael died late last year, and I wanted to share this remembrance of my childhood friend with his family. And I want to highlight the impact that teachers have on our lives - it's 51 years later and I still remember this vividly.
Our small school had an annual Christmas pageant held in our gymnasium, the whole school attended and parents were invited. Each class prepared something to present, and in 1970, the grade 5 class would present a short skit.
Four students were required for the skit: 3 girls and 1 boy.
It was Michael's misfortune that his mother cast him in the only male role!
The skit was about a young widower whose wife died at Christmas and he had lost his faith and will to live. The story was told by the couple's maid to her friend (Miss Anybody). Susie Kosowan played the wife, Cathy Torok was the maid, I was the friend.
The play was about how the young man got over his wife's death and found his joy for life again. It ended with him arriving home to find his maid chatting with her friend.
I still remember exactly what was supposed to happen; Michael was supposed to say to me "Too bad that isn't mistletoe, isn't it, Miss Anybody? Oh, well... " And he was to kiss me on the cheek.
We were 10 - Michael was refusing to cooperate. "I'm not kissing any girl" he declared during rehearsals.
Mrs. Kuiack wasn't having it. "Oh, he'll be fine during the performance," she said to me, "that's why I picked him; I'm his mother, he has to do as I say."
Come the day of the performance, a packed auditorium settled in to watch their children and classmates.
Our little skit went well, with Cathy and I doing most of the dialogue, and then Michael's character bursts through the door at the end. "Too bad that isn't mistletoe, isn't it, Miss Anybody?", he said, and then proceeded to shake hands with me vigorously, instead of kissing me on the cheek.
The girl cooties were thus successfully avoided!
😊
I remember Michael with a shock of blond hair, a shy, crooked smile, and kind brown eyes. The photographs that his sister Denise shared online following his passing indicate that he kept that smile.
This little play lit an acting bug in me that I spent years pursuing as an adult performing in musical theatre in Toronto in the late 80s and early 90s. You never know how a teacher will shape your life.
And I hope this reminiscence brings a smile to the faces of the Kuiack Family.
