Although everything looked good in the surface, Joseph didn't like.  He didn't like tonight supper or the way his brothers stared at him with angry frowns.  Absolutely none of them appreciated Dinah's suing talents or even the coat itself.  Joseph had enjoyed the food, but up to a certain point.  His brothers ruined the whole experience for him.  Joseph took of into the night after everybody else was sleeping.  He wanted to scream.  He couldn't do that in his compartment or hear his home where everybody else was sleeping.  He just started to run.  The adrenaline that rushed through his veins just made him run faster and faster.  He wasn't even tired.  Joseph didn't even care about the night.  He didn't care if there were wolves or terrible creatures, roaming during the night.  He was too angry and sad and frustrated to care.  He ran until he couldn't run anymore and when he stopped, he fell on his knees and shrieked.  

"Why?" He screamed. The image of his brothers appeared in his mind.  Reuben with his brown eyes and cinnamon colored skin.  Isaachar, Levi and Judah who were almost twins with their round noses and curls, Zabelum who was the biggest guy of them all, Asher, Dan, Gad and Neftali, all appeared in his mind, disapproval.  In his mind they told him things they had said to him in the past.  Nasty things.  Things that he wished they'd never said, but did.

"Why can't you love me?" He said and panted.  His shoulders moved up and down intensely as he cried.  He felt like a stranger in his own house, among his own brothers.  Their rejection hurt him so bad and he wished with all of his heart that they could understand that, but they didn't.  They didn't.

He cried for a long time and he was so sad and tired that he didn't even feel the cold.  His face was hot, his tears, his forehead.  He just didn't understand why they couldn't accept him or at least say something new to him.  Among themselves, Joseph had observed that the brothers got along very well.  They spoke to each other, joked around and worked well, but when he was near them everything changed.  After a while he calmed down and decided to pray.

"Dear God, why can't my brothers love me?  Why do they hate me so much?  Force them to love me," he said.  He realized that it was dark and that he was alone and that he shouldn't have taken off the way he had done so.  Joseph stood up and wiped his knees.  Then, he started walking back home.  He wasn't one hundred percent certain as to where he was, but he had an idea.  He listened to the Hebron River and he knew it wasn't very far.  He had been careless and quick and almost confident, even.  Now though, his pace was slower, there was a hint of caution and now his vision mattered more than before.  It took him longer, but he returned home. 

His eyes were day, but there was still some sadness in him.  He was exhausted.  The run, the tears and the prayer had exhausted him.  The animals were mostly sleeping in their pens.  His eyes were dry, but there was still some sadness in him.  He was exhausted.  The run, the tears and the prayer had exhausted him.  The animals were mostly sleeping in their pens.  Only the animals of the night could be heard from very far away.  Joseph did the best he could to enter house 1 as silently as possible.  He entered just fine.  He slipped into his compartment and no one realized that he had left for a long while.  His little brother Benjamin was snoring and sleeping sideways, on his side of the bed.  Joseph took off his colorful coat and as all coats, he used it during the night as his blanket.  He was so tired, that he quickly fell asleep.

Jaakobah's house was lit by a simple oil lamp.  His 5 sons, Saul, Ur, Hanoch, Ham, Lamech and his 3 daughters Oren, Abihail and Azubah all met Judah's slave, Tamar, although Jaakobah introduced her to them as Judah's slave and future wife.  Most of them didn't understand why Tamar was staying with them instead of with Jacob and the rest of Judah's family.  Jaakobah explained.

"Well, you see, Jacob doesn't get along very well with Judah right now.  Joseph is the only favorite Jaakobah explained to his children which were mostly all adults except for Lamech, who was only 12 and Azubah who was 15.

"Father, do you have a favorite son?" Lamech asked him.

Jaakobah caressed his long grey beard.  He then shook his head.

"No.  I don't have a favorite son.  I love you all the same," Jaakobah replied to Lamech.  Lamech sighed and although the rest of the sons didn't sigh, they did feel relief.  

"We have been blessed with a father that has no favorites," Saul said.  Saul was the eldest.

"What about the daughters?  Do you have a favorite?" Tamar asked interrupting a bit.  The family didn't mind. 

"No Tamar, I don't have a favorite daughter either.  I favor all of my children the same," Jaakobah said.  His daughters all surrounded his father and hugged him.  Jaakobah laughed.  He loved hugs and really, who doesn't?  

Anyway, the family then settled down and had a very brief meal.  Unlike Jacob, who was rich, Jaakobah was middle class.   They didn't have a feast, but they did eat well.  After dinner, the family was discussing where would Tamar sleep.

"For now, she will sleep with the women.  It's the best I can do, but I was thinking that you are all ready for marriage.  You have the age.  I will speak with Jacob to see what he thinks.  Maybe you can marry his sons," Jaakobah said.  The women didn't like the idea, but they didn't object to it either.  Instead, they stared at each other a bit startled.  They were so used to being together that the idea of them being separate was almost terrifying. 

"Girls, you are of age.  It's time to get married and have children.  I don't know if Jacob will agree, but if he does, you will all be nearby and you can come and visit me whenever you wish.  You will always be welcome here," Jaakobah said.  The women felt relieved.

"Will I also marry?" Azubah asked.

"I don't know.  But if it is possible, you might marry Joseph.  Joseph is 17and you are 15.  It's not so mismatched," Jaakobah said.

"Joseph?  You mean, the favorite son?" Azubah asked nervously. 

"Well, yes.  He's near your age.  He's a good boy, that's why he's the favorite," Jaakobah said.

"Father, but I have heard your conversations with Judah and you have agreed with him, that he is spoiled,"Ur remarked. 

"Son, here's the lesson you should learn, people will always complain about things and sometimes exaggerate the situation.  I know Joseph and he's a good kid.  Is he spoiled?  Maybe a bit, but make no mistake Joseph is a very hard worker, your sister will live peacefully if Jacob accepts my proposal," Jaakobah said.

"Wait a minute, but if the women all leave, doesn't that mean that I will be the only woman living here?" Tamar asked worriedly.

"Don't worry.  Some of the boys are already going to marry.  I tried to get Ur to marry Dinah, but for some reason Jacob refused," Jaakobah said.

"Dinah?  Who is Dinah?" Tamar asked.

"Dinah is Jacob's daughter.  She is already of marrying age.  I tried to convince Jacob to allow Ur to marry her, but he didn't accept," Jaakobah said.

"That's strange, but why wouldn't he allow Ur to marry her," Tamar asked him.  Jaakobah touched his long beard again as he thought of an answer.

"Well... to tell you the truth, I really don't know.  Ur is not a bad man.  Is he rich?  No, he is not, but Ur is very hardworking. He is a good man.  Even Jacob agreed with this when I spoke to him about the marriage, but he said it had nothing to do with Ur," Jaakobah said.

"That is so strange.  Do you think that maybe there's something wrong with Dinah?" Tamar asked.  Jaakobah continued to touch his long, grey beard during the conversation.  There was again a long pause.

"I never even considered that there could be something wrong with Dinah, but now that you mention it, perhaps there might be something wrong with her, Jaakobah replied.

"Wasn't her mother unable to bear children?" Saul asked.

"No.  I don't think so," Hanoch remarked.

"Oh yes.  She couldn't get pregnant, so she had to give Jacob her slave," Ham remarked.

"No, that wasn't her mother, that was Rachel, God rest her soul," Abihail said.

"Rachel wasn't her mother?"  Jaakobah asked.

"No, her mother is Leah," Abihail responded, cleaning up her father's confusion.

"Who's Rachel?" Tamar asked.

"That's Joseph's mother.  She died while giving birth to Benjamin.  Benjamin is Jacob's smallest son," Abihail said.

"Oh, wow, Rachel.  Yes.  God rest her soul.  I remember her.  Wow.  I had completely forgotten about her.  Poor Rachel," Jaakobah said Tamar wanted to know more about Rachel.

"Was she Judah's mother too?" Tamar asked. 

"No.  Leah is Judah's mother," Abihail replied.  Tamar was about to ask about Leah, but Jaakobah ended the family conversation. 

"It's late and it's time for us to rest.  Tomorrow is ahead of us and it's going to be a very long day.  There's a lot of work to do.  Tomorrow is a new day and I'm sure that the girls can tell you more about Jacob's clan, but right now it's time to sleep.  Abihail, make sure you  try to make some space in your room.  I know it's difficult, but this won't last long.  We'll try to figure something out by tomorrow," Jaakobah said.

"Yes, father.  Come with us, Abihail told Tamar.  Tamar stood up.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to say here and for dinner.  It was all delicious.  I haven't eaten like that for a very long time and it's reminded me of some good memories," Tamar told Jaakobah.  Jaakobah smiled and nodded briefly.

"I'm glad and I hope that you marry once again and have good moments as you did in the past," Jaakobah said.  Tamar smiled.  She was really happy. Now she wore one of Abihail's dresses.  She had washed every part of her body, including her hair and she felt refreshed.  She no longer wore rags.  A bath and new clothes really elevated her mood.  Abihail and the other women left to their compartment.  Their room wasn't enormous, but it wasn't so tight either.  However, at least for tonight, they would sleep a bit uncomfortable with Tamar.  Abihail tried to re-arrange sleeping sideways to allow Tamar to sleep.

"I'm sorry that we're so squeezed in," Abihail told Tamar. 

"Trust me, this is better than where I used to sleep," Tamar said.  Abihail wondered what Tamar meant by that.  Tamar hadn't disclosed a lot about her life. Jaakobah and the rest of the family had been the ones doing most of the talking, Abihail had realzed.  However, she obeyed her father and decided that tomorrow was another day for questions, but yes, it did feel strange to be sleeping next to a complete stranger they knew nothing about.  Tamar was left in a corner, while the rest of the women slept near each other.

"Has everything been arranged?" Jaakobah asked from the "door."  He didn't enter the women's compartment. 

"Yes, father.  It has," Abihail replied. 

"Very well.  I'm glad.  Goodnight," Jaakobah said.

"Goodnight," all of the women including Tamar replied.