UJOSEFA ufuna ukwazi ukuthi abafowabo abadala abayi-10 namanje basengabalukhuni abangenamusa na. Ngakho uthi: ‘Niyizinhloli. Nizobona ubuze bezwe.’

Bathi, ‘Cha, asizona. Singamadoda athembekile. Siyizelamani sonke. Siyi-12. Kodwa omunye umfowethu akasekho, omncane usekhaya nobaba.’

UJosefa uzenza ongabakholwa. Umfowabo uSimeyoni umvalela ejele, abanye abanikeze ukudla bahambe. Kodwa uthi kubo: ‘Uma senibuya, nilethe umfowenu omncane.’

Uma sebebuyela ekhaya eKhanani, batshela uyise uJakobe yonke into eyenzekile, uJakobe udabuka kakhulu. ‘UJosefa akasekho,’ ekhala, ‘manje noSimeyoni akasekho. Ngeke nginivumele nithathe indodana yami encane uBhenjamini.’ Kodwa lapho ukudla sekuqala ukuphela, uJakobe uyavuma bathathe uBhenjamini baye eGibhithe ukuze bathole ukudla okwengeziwe.

Manje uJosefa uyababona abafowabo beza. Ujabula kakhulu ngokubona umfowabo omncane uBhenjamini. Yebo, akekho kubona owazi ukuthi le ndoda ebalulekile uJosefa. Manje uJosefa wenza okuthile kokuvivinya abafowabo abayi-10.

Uyala izinceku zakhe ukuba zigcwalise wonke amasaka abo ngokudla. Kodwa bengazi, ufaka inkomishi yakhe yesiliva esakeni likaBhenjamini. Ngemva kokuba sebehambe ibangana elincane, uJosefa uthuma izinceku zakhe ukuba zibalandele. Lapho zibafica, izinceku zithi: ‘Niyebeleni indebe yesiliva yenkosi yethu?’

Abafowabo baphendula bonke, ‘Asizange siyebe indebe yayo. Uma niyithola kunoma ubani wethu, makabulawe lowo.’

Izinceku zifune kuwo wonke amasaka, zithole indebe esakeni likaBhenjamini, njengoba ubona lapha. Izinceku zithi: ‘Ningahamba nina nonke, kodwa uBhenjamini kufanele ahambe nathi.’ Bazokwenze njani manje abafowabo abayi-10?

Bonke babuyela emuva noBhenjamini endlini kaJosefa. UJosefa utshela abafowabo: ‘Ningahamba nonke, uBhenjamini kufanele ahlale lapha njengesigqila sami.’

Manje uJuda akhulume athi: ‘Uma ngibuyela ekhaya ngaphandle kwalo mfana, ubaba uzofa ngoba umthanda kakhulu. Ngakho siza, ugcine mina lapha njengesigqila sakho, kodwa umfana aye ekhaya.’

UJosefa uyabona ukuthi abafowabo sebeshintshile. Abasebona abalukhuni nabangenamusa manje. Ake sibone ukuthi uJosefa wenzani.