Suitcase stories: Leny’s love story by Soña Lee

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Suitcase stories: Leny’s love story by Soña Lee

FENIX - koffers - Foto: Loes van Duijvendijk

Many of the suitcases that are part of the Fenix collection tell a story about their owner. Leny’s red suitcase is one of them. Rotterdam-based illustrator Soña Lee depicted the love story of the trolley suitcase in four drawings.

Leny's koffer

Leny (57) and Kees (60) met in 2007 and instantly fell in love. However, there was one obstacle: Kees lives in Maastricht and Leny in Rotterdam. The train journey between the two cities takes almost three hours. With her bright red suitcase, Leny has been travelling to see her sweetheart every other weekend for 14 years.

Sona Lee - Leny - illustration 1
Leny and Kees met by chance. They hit it off and immediately planned a date. The morning before the first date, Leny spontaneously decided to purchase a suitcase. She went to the Bijenkorf department store, where she bought the bright red trolley suitcase that, from then on, she always took with her when she travelled to Maastricht.
Leny's koffer - Soña Lee
The first date was a success. Leny wrote in her diary: ‘Is this really me? This longing creature, who knows in every fibre of her being, I am heads over heels in love.’
Sona Lee - Leny - illustration 3
Leny and Kees see each other every other weekend. When she goes to Maastricht, he always comes to pick her up on the platform. ‘Kees was at the station an hour early. Yes, that’s what happens when you have hearts that long for each other,’ Leny wrote.
Leny's koffer - Soña Lee - 4
Leny has travelled extensively with her suitcase – not only to Maastricht, but also abroad. In 2018, however, the travels of the red suitcase came to an end. One of the wheels broke and could not be repaired. Leny wrote later about her travels: ‘The best trips were always to Maastricht, to see him.’

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