Do fathers still find wives for their sons?
For many people, the question belongs to another generation, a time when parents played matchmaker and children simply trusted their judgment. Today, relationships are more likely to begin with a swipe on a screen than a conversation between families.
But every now and then, a story comes along that reminds us life doesn't always follow modern scripts.
Sometimes, it begins with a father who quietly notices what everyone else overlooks.
Years before Kwadwo Som-Pimpong ever thought about marriage, his father believed he had already met the woman who would one day become his daughter-in-law. He never forced the idea. He never arranged a marriage. He simply recognised something in a young woman that stayed with him long after they had gone their separate ways.
As it turned out, he was right.
The remarkable story unfolded on Sunny 88.7 FM's The Couple Next Door, where Kwadwo and his wife, Faith, shared the unlikely journey that brought them together.
An Ordinary Afternoon at the Guest House
It all began in 2015.
Faith had just completed her studies at the University of Ghana and was making enquiries at the University's Guest House about hosting her graduation celebration. It was an ordinary afternoon, the kind that disappears from memory almost as soon as it happens.
Among the guests staying there was Reverend Albert Som-Pimpong.
The two struck up a conversation.
He asked where she came from. She told him she was from the Volta Region. He smiled and shared that his late mother had spoken Ewe. It was the sort of friendly exchange that often happens between strangers and is forgotten by the next day.
Then something small happened.
As the pastor prepared to leave, his hands were full of bags and bottles of water. Before anyone asked, Faith stepped forward and offered to help him.
To her, it was simply the right thing to do.
To Reverend Som-Pimpong, it spoke volumes about the kind of person she was.
Before they parted, the pastor played a few songs from one of his latest gospel albums and quietly gave the young graduate money to support her graduation celebration.
Faith went home that evening and excitedly told her parents about the kind man she had met.
Her father, himself a pastor, thanked God for the unexpected blessing.
None of them imagined they had just taken the first step towards becoming family.
A Different Story, Across the Atlantic
Across the Atlantic, Kwadwo Som-Pimpong was living a completely different story.
An engineer by training, he had discovered a passion for woodworking that would eventually grow into a successful business creating custom furniture and cabinetry. His days were consumed by work, clients and craftsmanship. Marriage wasn't something he was actively pursuing.
In fact, he had never dated.
Raised in a deeply Christian home, Kwadwo says his parents taught him to approach relationships with patience and purpose rather than impulse. Looking back, he believes those values protected him from many of the heartbreaks people often carry into marriage.
"I was focused on my career," he recalled.
From time to time, however, his father mentioned a young woman he had met in Ghana.
There was no pressure.
No insistence.
Just the quiet conviction of a father who had been deeply impressed by someone's character.
The Meeting That Lasted Less Than an Hour
Years passed before they finally met.
In 2018, during a visit to Ghana, Reverend Som-Pimpong invited Faith to visit the family's Airbnb in Accra before she left for Germany to pursue further studies.
The meeting lasted less than an hour.
Kwadwo cannot remember every detail of the conversation.
But he remembers her.
"I remember how joyful she was," he said. "She was always smiling, very humble and very kind."
Sometimes, first impressions linger for reasons we cannot explain.
Pulled Apart, Then Drawn Together
Life soon pulled them apart again.
Faith moved to Germany.
Kwadwo returned to North Carolina.
Different countries, different time zones and demanding schedules made staying connected difficult. Their conversations often happened during Kwadwo's fifteen-minute work breaks, interrupted by poor internet connections and dropped calls.
Yet those brief conversations gradually became the foundation of something much deeper.
Faith admits that if anyone had asked her then who she expected to marry, Kwadwo's name probably would not have crossed her mind.
Like many young women, she had her own expectations and quietly hoped another relationship might develop.
Then her prayers began to change.
During a period of fasting, she stopped telling God what she wanted and surrendered her plans instead.
"My prayer became, 'Lord, lead the way, and I will follow. Let Your will be done,'" she said.
Unknown to her, Kwadwo was praying his own prayer.
God, he says, was teaching him that building a successful career was important, but building a godly marriage mattered even more.
Only after both of them became convinced that God was leading them in the same direction did Kwadwo ask the question that would change both their lives.
"I would like to marry you."
Faith smiled.
Then she asked for more time.
She wanted to pray.
Kwadwo waited.
There was no pressure to answer quickly. No attempt to persuade her. Only the confidence that if God had brought them this far, He would make the next step clear.
When she finally said yes, it wasn't because Reverend Som-Pimpong had introduced them years earlier.
It was because both of them had become convinced that God was writing a story neither of them could have written for themselves.
A Story That Only Made Sense With Time
Today, Kwadwo and Faith Som-Pimpong are raising their young son in the United States while continuing to build careers rooted in craftsmanship and creativity.
Looking back, they don't describe their journey as coincidence.
They see it as providence.
A father noticed a young woman's character.
A simple act of kindness left a lasting impression.
Years passed.
Lives changed.
And what seemed like an ordinary afternoon at the University of Ghana Guest House became the opening chapter of a love story that only made sense with time.
Perhaps fathers don't find wives for their sons in quite the same way they once did.
But every now and then, one recognises a quiet strength, a gentle spirit or a kindness that others are too busy to notice.
And sometimes, that is where the story begins.
The Couple Next Door is part of Sunny 88.7 FM's Love Unscripted series, featuring honest conversations with couples about what happens after the wedding and the realities of building a life together.
The programme airs on the Inspirational Morning Drive (IMDrive) and can also be followed through Sunny TV and SunnyGH.com.