Two Merry Old Souls Who’ll Be Mates Forever

Whatever happens in this life we’ll be together for eternity

My husband and I watched a movie on Thursday evening — The Leisure Seeker — which reminded me of the journey we’d embarked on 38 years ago.

Two lost souls. We were seeking solace from our past, comfort, and companionship for the future.

The first time we met, he was a patient at the same clinic where my frail dad was recovering from depression.

A spark lit up my soul — I couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

Perhaps it was his kindness toward my dad that first impressed me. He’d spotted my dad sitting alone in his wheelchair on the veranda late one afternoon, forgotten by the clinic staff, and took him under his wing.

Angel wings?

I was wading through a muddy divorce at the time. Romance was not on the agenda. My soon-to-be-ex-husband had alienated and rejected all my friends.

I desperately needed someone I could trust and confide in. An inexplicable alignment somewhere in the universe had ensured we crossed paths.

We became good friends.

H (not his full name to respect his privacy) stayed with my dad after they were discharged to look after him until a live-in caregiver arrived. My stepmother, twenty years younger, had left when dad’s health deteriorated — I think the shock had brought on the depression.

I visited on weekends to check on dad, and enjoyed long chats in the garden with H. Although we shared a common interest in politics, history and music though diverse views on other topics. This made for interesting conversations — and lots of laughs too.

He told me of his attempted suicide the previous year — that didn’t faze me. We shared our childhood experiences about growing up without a mother. We never ran out of things to talk about.

I’d met an emotionally intelligent person with whom I felt free to be me.

We remained good friends.

As the months passed, he started dating other women, but that didn’t bother me. I was focused on my new corporate career and gradually re-entering the social scene. No boy friends thank you; I’d been on a few disastrous dates.

Then one day H phoned — he needed to speak to me in person about something important.

Over coffee, he said, “My ex wants us to get together again. I need to know how you feel.”

In a flash, it hit me I loved him. I couldn’t bear the thought of us drifting apart if he returned to his old life — and wife.

“Do what you feel is right. I’ll be okay with whatever you decide.”

He’d posed the question to test my reaction — he had doubts about reuniting with his ex. He loved me, yet was hesitant to say so in case the feeling wasn’t mutual.

He asked me, as a friend, to be honest with him. Awkward moment! I confessed I loved him but insisted that shouldn’t influence his decision.

We’ve been together ever since — best friends and soulmates for eternity. Death will never part us.

I’ll leave you with our favorite song.

This essay is my Spiritual Sunday response to the PW weekly prompts 18–25 December from Bella Smith ⭐.

I wish you all a blessed festive season and New Year.

Thank you for being here.

(PS: The Leisure Seeker is a movie of an old couple who go on a final road trip to celebrate their love for each other. Their interactions reminded me so much of our marriage, and the plot coincided with my desire to organize a trip to the coast for my adorable, yet now fragile husband before it’s too late.)