Introvert Antoon Bosmans was persuaded by his immediate family to take the job as a travelling representative for the cigar manufacturer La Paz. His sister Truus kept an eye on the shop in his absence with the assistance of his 23yr.old nephew Puck (Servaas Bosmans) who volunteered to help out.
Antoon travelled the length and breadth of Holland and soon discovered that his cigars were no match for the well established Ritmeester, Schimmelpenninck, Hofnar and Willem II brands.
Antoon received a cool reception in most places; initially also at the cigar store ‘Cuba’ on Lipperkerkstreet 47a, in the textile town of Enschede.
Marie more or less, ran the shop for her father, ‘master plasterer’ Bernard Leferink and La Paz didn’t turn on the sales lady Marie neither.
In no uncertain terms she let Mr. Bosmans know he was wasting his time with those inferior cigars and with an infectious smile she added, ‘they’re not worth lighting’. However her smile and chirpy cheekiness lit up Antoon’s existence and it made his trip to ‘Cuba’ a most enjoyable one.
Many more journeys followed and Enschede became his favourite town for a quick visit to the cheerful lass amongst the meerschaum pipes, the chewing tobacco and La Paz cigars.

Transient visits became stretched stopovers with the smell of freshly brewed coffee in his nostrils. He got to know the Leferink family close at hand and spend quite a bit of time in the family circle listening to all the yarns while turning the pages of a well-filled photo album on his lap. Marie proudly told her bosom-friend that most of the pictures were not only taken but also developed by her father. Many had a story to tell and it was accompanied often with a lot of drollery from ‘lachende Marietje’ laughing Mary.
Perseverance had paid off and after a short engagement, Antoon asked his Marie to set the wedding date.
They entered their names at the registry office a fortnight before the wedding, as this was the order of the day.
Marie found out that the Bosmans family had a Catholic background but lapsed in their practise of the faith, so Antoon was duly baptised and made a vow to bring up his children as good Catholics.