There is a lady overdue for marriage and she couldn't just pick any out of the suitors until she travelled to a village towards the east one day for a conference. She had a flat tyre, which was fixed by a man she had never seen before and even couldnt communicate properly, but she just couldnt explain what struck, she was swept off her feet at the moment of the contact.She gave the man her number, sad enough the man has no mobile phone, but if she can surely trace him back to that village.

Do you think the relationship would work,considering the distance, language, cultural, educational background barrier? What do you think?

She is really perplexed pls urgent reply is solicited.

Thank you nairalanders

what if the stark illiterate also falls in love with the Ph.d holder?

I think it may be very very very difficult.

I suspect that because your friend 'is overdue for marriage' may be a big issue here.

You see, communication is very important, there are friends of both parties. one very educated and the other stark iliterate.

Can the woman become a market woman, stop speaking English, change all her friends. wear rapper all the time, cook 3 meals a day, get palm wine for the husband or good bottle of gunniness or gulder after meal?

We are talking about lifetime choices! mba mba, even the man will think the woman is playing some joke on him and think she is after something like make voodoo out of him. Is like a poor boy being chased by a rich woman/sugar mummy. There will be complex all the time by each party on little immaterial things. the man will take  years to add 2+2 together in certain circumstances.

What about the woman parents? would they be happy with their son-in-law.

If it were to be possible to get the gentleman to go to adult education etc, it is just maybe.

I think, at best the man will just be a sperm donor, it will be very difficult for this two as they will not be at the same wavelenght at all. Music, movie etc

You don't just marry because something struck, there has to be a lot of things in common for the difficult days.

If I may say without disrespect to your friend, our women are two way proud that they see their education, money, position and powers well above an happy relationship/marriage/home. As a result they don't see relationship as priority at the appopriate times, they are either still in town or busy studying for Professorship. Why don't get married and get your PHD in your Husband house like my sister did.

To me a happy home/relationship is worth more than everything because as the bible said, he that find a good wife, find favours in the eyes of the Lord and by implication he who finds a good husband equally find favours in the eyes of the Lord.

I will end of with a small proverb.  ' A man who is from a town without railway station who enters a train from lagos has another journey to make, he will have to stop at the nearest station and take a bus'

With your friend, I will, unusally and uncharacteristic suggest for her to go out and advertise herself in a nice way to some educated fellows and just don't even mention all those degrees and let her hair down without being too intelligent and academic

You friend will need a special grace of the Almighty to make that relationship works. It is not impossible but highly impoprable.

I wish her all the best and may the Grace of the almighty God provide for her.

@poster, even if both parties happen to be so much in love with eachother, there will surely be compatibility and communication problems and these 2 factors are highly needed to make love work. besides how will they face their families and friends since they wont be living in an island of their own? can they cope with eachothers habits? who will end up being the head in such a relationship? no matter the level of love involved, i dont think such a relationship can ever make it.

Dear Funke, yes such marriages can work just as good as others. Educational incompatibility does not necessarily mean a marriage will fail. The couple will, as in every other marriage, need to work at making a success of the same thru patience, undertanding, support & love.
I know a well educated &quite comfortable young lady who married an illiterate 40something yr old driver. Despite initial opposition by pple, they stood by each other

The good lady took up the challenge of brushing up her hubby's language deficiency, etiquette, etc with his enthusiastic cooperation. Five years on, the couple are living good to the admiration of earlier detractors. The man's transformation to a well informed, softspoken gent is a wonder to behold - same cannot be said of many educationally/socially compatible couples.
The success of a union depends largely on the couple, dear Funke,
cheers

Well, ask those who have done it!