6 Kusengumnyaka wesibili lona indlala ikhungetse umhlaba; kusasele leminye iminyaka lesihlanu kungalinywa kungavunwa.
Lona-ke ngumlandvo wesitukulwane saJakobe. Josefa, labesaneminyaka leli-17, abelusa timvu netimbuti kanye nabomnakabo bekutalwa nguBilha, naZilpha, bafati beyise. Josefa abeletsa umbiko kuyise ngaloko lokubi lababekwenta.
Tibutse konkhe lokudla ngaleminyaka yenala lesikhombisa letako, konkhe tikwente ngeligama nangemandla aFaro, tikubutsele emadolobheni lokudla, bese tiyakulondvolota.
Josefa abesaneminyaka lengemashumi lamatsatfu nakacala kusebenta ngaphansi kwaFaro. Wesuka kuFaro walihamba lonkhe laseGibhithe.
Yaphela-ke iminyaka lesikhombisa yenala eveni laseGibhithe,
kwacala iminyaka yendlala, njengobe abeshito Josefa. Kwaba nendlala emaveni onkhe, kodvwa kulo lonkhe laseGibhithe kwakusekhona kudla.
Ngako-ke yatsi kube indlala yandze nalo lonkhe live, Josefa wativula tonkhe tingungu takhe watsengisela baseGibhithe kudla, ngobe indlala yase ilikhungetse lonkhe laseGibhithe.
Watsi kube uphele lowo mnyaka, beta kuye ekucaleni kwemnyaka lolandzelako, bafike batsi: “Singeke sikufihle loku, nkhosi, kutsi imali yetfu yonkhe seyiphelile, nekutsi imfuyo yetfu ngeyakho. Kute lesingabe sisakunika kona manje, ngaphandle kwemitimba yetfu nemasimi etfu.
Josefa wase ukhuluma kubantfu watsi: “Lalelani-ke, kusukela lamuhla nine nelive lenu senginitsengele Faro. Nansi-ke inhlanyelo yenu, hlanyelani emasimini.
“Uyawusebenta emalanga lasitfupha, kodvwa ngelilanga lesikhombisa uyawuphumula, ngisho nangesikhatsi sekulima nesekuvuna.
Tinkhabi netimbongolo letiwusebentako lomhlaba tiyakudla lifolishi neluhlata lolwendlalwe ngetimfologo nangemafosholo.
balidvonse baye nalo esihosheni lesingazange sesilinywe nome kuhlanyelwe lutfo kuso, lapho kunemfula logeletako. Bayawufika kuleso sihosha bephule intsamo yalelitfokati.
Lamanye awo itawabeka abe tindvuna tetinkhulungwane, lamanye abe tindvuna tema-50, lamanye alime emasimini ayo aphindze awavune, lamanye ente tikhali temphi kanye netimphahla tetincola.