that accompanied it. Las Vegas sounded like a better choice every day.
“Did your father have to succumb to buying china?” he asked Seth, who leaned back in the booth, a casual arm draped across Julia’s shoulders.
“I really can’t recall,” he said, “not having been born yet, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded since he and my mother were soul mates.”
“Soul mates,” repeated Angie. “I’ve heard that term before. Isn’t that when someone is destined to be your mate? One true love for each of us?”
“That’s only half of it,” said Seth , gazing intently at Julia’s best friend. “Being a soul mate actually entails a lot more than that.”
“Y ou really believe that nonsense?” cracked Paul. “I thought you were much too serious to fall for romantic gibberish.”
“It’ s not gibberish,” replied Seth quietly. “My father told me himself that my mother was his soul mate and that he’d given her half his soul a year before I was born.”
“Gave his soul to her?” repeated Paul , glancing at his sister and shaking his head like Seth had gone daft or something.
“Oh shut up Paul,” said Angie, “this sounds interesting. What do you mean he gave his soul to her?”
“Well it’s actually a physical thing,” stated Seth, suddenly seeming reluctant to expound further.
Julia was suddenly alert, remembering their earlier conversation at the Sushi restaurant.
“My father told me about it several times, but I’ve never discussed it outside the family; though I’d heard of the phenomena before.”
“Now you’ve really got my interest up so you can’t just stop now. Go on Seth,” urged Angie, ignoring Paul’s snort of disgust.
“What do you mean a physical thing?” asked Julia, watching her lover’s face intently. “I thought a soul mate was just someone you wish to remain with for the rest of your life.”
“Well, that’s a big part of i t,” responded Seth, “but there’s an actual physical act needed to exchange part of your soul with another. My father explained he’d exchanged souls with my mother when only twenty-three.”
“What did he do? Take a knife and cut out part of his soul and give it to your mom to eat?” Seth appeared vaguely disgusted at Paul’s flippant comment.
“Oh Paul, just be quiet. Tell us about it and just ignore him,” said Angie, putting her hand over boyfriend’s mouth to silence him. “I really want to know how it’s done.”
“Here we go,” moaned Paul through her hand.
Seth sighed and began quietly, his voice almost melancholy. “When my father met my mother he knew he was doomed to love her from the moment he laid eyes on her. He was twenty-three at the time and she about twenty.”
“What were their n ames?” whispered Julia.
“My father’s n ame was Frank and my mother’s was Jenny. He met her during a summer postgraduate course at NYU. Anyway, as soon as dad met her he knew that was it; he would never want to be with another woman. Within weeks there was no question that their involvement was going to be permanent.
“ This was in 1967, mind you, and a lot of strange ideas had made the circuit. There were mind bending drugs, psychedelic hallucinations, and free, uninhibited sex, but my father, being the more contemplative type, had read a magazine from the far east about exchanging souls and was fascinated, not being the type to go in for the other excesses of the sixties. He was passionately in love with my mother and decided to try it if she was game.
“ The process is relatively simple. The first thing is to agree to exchange souls unreservedly with your chosen mate. The second part’s even easier yet; while making love you vow eternal devotion to each other and as climax approaches you transfer part of your soul to your mate. My father said that he and my mother were making love passionately in his apartment. He gazed into my mother’s eyes and said, ‘I love you and I give you the other half of
“Did your father have to succumb to buying china?” he asked Seth, who leaned back in the booth, a casual arm draped across Julia’s shoulders.
“I really can’t recall,” he said, “not having been born yet, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded since he and my mother were soul mates.”
“Soul mates,” repeated Angie. “I’ve heard that term before. Isn’t that when someone is destined to be your mate? One true love for each of us?”
“That’s only half of it,” said Seth , gazing intently at Julia’s best friend. “Being a soul mate actually entails a lot more than that.”
“Y ou really believe that nonsense?” cracked Paul. “I thought you were much too serious to fall for romantic gibberish.”
“It’ s not gibberish,” replied Seth quietly. “My father told me himself that my mother was his soul mate and that he’d given her half his soul a year before I was born.”
“Gave his soul to her?” repeated Paul , glancing at his sister and shaking his head like Seth had gone daft or something.
“Oh shut up Paul,” said Angie, “this sounds interesting. What do you mean he gave his soul to her?”
“Well it’s actually a physical thing,” stated Seth, suddenly seeming reluctant to expound further.
Julia was suddenly alert, remembering their earlier conversation at the Sushi restaurant.
“My father told me about it several times, but I’ve never discussed it outside the family; though I’d heard of the phenomena before.”
“Now you’ve really got my interest up so you can’t just stop now. Go on Seth,” urged Angie, ignoring Paul’s snort of disgust.
“What do you mean a physical thing?” asked Julia, watching her lover’s face intently. “I thought a soul mate was just someone you wish to remain with for the rest of your life.”
“Well, that’s a big part of i t,” responded Seth, “but there’s an actual physical act needed to exchange part of your soul with another. My father explained he’d exchanged souls with my mother when only twenty-three.”
“What did he do? Take a knife and cut out part of his soul and give it to your mom to eat?” Seth appeared vaguely disgusted at Paul’s flippant comment.
“Oh Paul, just be quiet. Tell us about it and just ignore him,” said Angie, putting her hand over boyfriend’s mouth to silence him. “I really want to know how it’s done.”
“Here we go,” moaned Paul through her hand.
Seth sighed and began quietly, his voice almost melancholy. “When my father met my mother he knew he was doomed to love her from the moment he laid eyes on her. He was twenty-three at the time and she about twenty.”
“What were their n ames?” whispered Julia.
“My father’s n ame was Frank and my mother’s was Jenny. He met her during a summer postgraduate course at NYU. Anyway, as soon as dad met her he knew that was it; he would never want to be with another woman. Within weeks there was no question that their involvement was going to be permanent.
“ This was in 1967, mind you, and a lot of strange ideas had made the circuit. There were mind bending drugs, psychedelic hallucinations, and free, uninhibited sex, but my father, being the more contemplative type, had read a magazine from the far east about exchanging souls and was fascinated, not being the type to go in for the other excesses of the sixties. He was passionately in love with my mother and decided to try it if she was game.
“ The process is relatively simple. The first thing is to agree to exchange souls unreservedly with your chosen mate. The second part’s even easier yet; while making love you vow eternal devotion to each other and as climax approaches you transfer part of your soul to your mate. My father said that he and my mother were making love passionately in his apartment. He gazed into my mother’s eyes and said, ‘I love you and I give you the other half of
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