UYOSEFU ufuna ukwazi enoba abakhuluwa bakhe abali-10 basenjalo na ukungabi nanceba nokungabi nabubele. Ngoko uthi kubo: ‘Niziintlola. Nize kuhlola iindawo elibuthathaka kuzo ilizwe lethu.’

‘Hayi, asizontlola,’ batsho. ‘Singamadoda anyanisekileyo. Sonke singoonyana bandoda-nye. Sasili-12. Kodwa omnye umntakwethu akasekho yaye omncinane usekhaya nobawo.’

UYosefu wenza ngathi akabakholelwa. Uvalela umntakwabo ogama linguSimeyon entolongweni, aze anike abanye ukutya ukuba bagoduke nako. Kodwa uthi kubo: ‘Xa nibuya, nize nomninawa wenu.’

Ekubuyeleni kwabo ekhaya eKanan, baxelela uyise uYakobi konke okwenzekileyo. UYakobi ubuhlungu gqitha. ‘UYosefu akasekho,’ uyakhala, ‘yaye ngoku noSimeyon akasekho. Andinakunivumela nihambe nonyana wam omncinane uBhenjamin.’ Kodwa kuthi kwakuphela ukutya kwabo, uYakobi abavumele bahambe naye uBhenjamin ukuya eYiputa ukuze bafumane okunye ukutya.

Ngoko uYosefu uyababona abantakwabo besiza. Uyakuvuyela ukubona umninawa wakhe uBhenjamin. Noko ke, akukho namnye kubo owaziyo ukuba le ndoda idumileyo nguYosefu. Ngoku uYosefu wenza enye into ukulinga abakhuluwa bakhe abali-10.

Uthi abakhonzi bakhe mabazalise zonke iingxowa zabo ngokutya. Kodwa bengayazi bona loo nto, uthi makufakwe indebe yakhe exabisekileyo yesilivere kwingxowa kaBhenjamin. Bakuba bonke behambile sele bemgama, uYosefu uthumela abakhonzi bakhe kubo. Ekubafumaneni, abakhonzi bathi: ‘Niyibele ntoni na indebe yesilivere yenkosi yethu?’

‘Asiyibanga indebe yayo,’ batsho bonke. ‘Ukuba niyayifumana indebe komnye wethu, loo mntu makabulawe.’

Ngoko abakhonzi bakhangela kuzo zonke iingxowa, baze bayifumane indebe kwingxowa kaBhenjamin, njengokuba uyibona apha. Abakhonzi bathi: ‘Abanye kuni bangahamba, kodwa uBhenjamin makahambe nathi.’ Baza kuthini abantakwabo abali-10 ngoku?

Bonke babuyela noBhenjamin endlwini kaYosefu. UYosefu uthi kubantakwabo: ‘Ningagoduka nina nonke kodwa uBhenjamin makahlale apha abe likhoboka lam.’

Ngoko uYuda uthi: ‘Ukuba ndibuyela ekhaya ngaphandle kwenkwenkwe, ubawo uya kufa kuba uyithanda kunene. Ngoko ndiyakucela, makusale mna ndibe likhoboka lakho, kodwa uyiyeke inkwenkwe igoduke.’

UYosefu uyabona ukuba abantakwabo batshintshile. Bayekile ukungabi nanceba nokungabi nabubele. Makhe sibone okwenziwa nguYosefu ngoku.