That shouldn't matter to him, if this is truly his soul mate (note that I also don't believe in the concept, but I can go with it) then his parents need to know.
Payphones, maybe? There are some pretty cheap cell phones you can get these days too.
This. I needed a new phone and came to realize I was due for a upgrade. Went to the AT&T store, saw all these $300 phones but all I need is a simple phone nothing fancy. Found one for 40 bucks!