A favorite pastime for our parents during the winter months was to getting together with three or four of our relatives, who also had grocery businesses, and play cards. Instead of money, they played for oranges. Each would buy a few dozen oranges from the relative they were visiting and, whoever played the best hands that evening, went

home with most of the oranges.

The relatives who played cards included my uncle Toffee and aunt Hassibi Zaken. They had a store on the corner of Weymouth and King Street facing the railroad station. Most of the business was from the traffic caused by the station. Uncle Toffee was always well dressed, loved to play the flute and feed pigeons. He was also very fussy about his coffee. He later opened a coffee shop and his slogan was, “If you want good coffee come and see Toffee”.

My uncle Albert Kays was married to my aunt Mary, my Dad’s sister and they had a store on the corner of Pownal and Richmond Street where a co-op housing now exists. He was a heavy set man, a heavy smoker and a compulsive card player. They opened Kays Beverages and in 1956 sold their assets and moved the beverage

business to Stephenville Newfoundland.

Uncle Joe Kays was married to Mariam, my mother’s sister and they had a store on the north side of Fitzroy Street, second house from Esher Street. Joe and Albert Kays were bothers. Their mother was Mary Lubra Marj i who came to the Island around 1900 and was one of the few women peddlers. She later went back to Lebanon and

raised five children.

Lydia Weatherby was a daughter of Mary Lubra Marj i and she was married to Joseph Weatherby. They had a store on Grafton Street near Edward Street and later on the corner of Queen and Douglas Street. Mary Lubra Marji was a sister of Abraham Marj i, my mother’s father. So that would make my mother first cousin to Lydia

Weatherby.

My uncle Saylem (Sam) Zakem was married to Germaine Bilodeau from St. Damien, Quebec and operated a store on the comer of Pownal and King Street. They had five

children and in the late 50’s moved back to Quebec.

My aunt Sadiah, my father’s sister was married to Nemir Tweel. They had a small store on the corner of University and Bayfield Street where they brought up nine

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