Seven Years for Rachel

One big stone cover di mouth of one well. E heavy sote di shepherds dey wait make every flock reach before dem roll am comot together. Then one stranger wey dust cover see one young woman dey come with her papa sheep, e waka go there, and e move dat stone by imself alone.

Di stranger na Jacob, and e dey run. E don deceive im senior brother Esau, take di blessing of dia papa, and Esau dey vex well well. So Jacob don travel hundreds of miles go north, to Haran, where di family of im mama Rebekah dey live. For road, God meet am for dream and promise say e go dey with am anywhere wey e go. Now Jacob reach one field wey get well, three flocks of sheep lie down near am, and one group of shepherds dey wait for sun.

My people, where una come from? Jacob ask. From Haran. Una know Laban? We know am. E dey well. And look, im daughter Rachel dey come with di sheep. Rachel na shepherd, she dey take care of her papa flock. Di moment Jacob see her, e go di well, roll di stone comot, and give every one of her sheep water. Then e kiss her to greet her, and e burst into tears. All dat running, all dat loneliness, and here, at last, na family. E tell her say e be Rebekah son. Rachel run go house tell her papa, and Laban run come too. E hug Jacob, kiss am and carry am go house. You be my own flesh and blood for true, e talk.

Jacob stay and work. After one month, Laban talk, You no suppose work for free just because you be family. Wetin you want as your pay? Now Laban get two daughters. Di senior one na Leah. Genesis talk say her eyes weak, or maybe soft; nobody too sure wetin di old word mean. Di younger one na Rachel, and she fine well well. Jacob love Rachel. I go work for you seven years, e talk, for your younger daughter Rachel. Laban agree. And see one of di sweetest lines for di whole book. Jacob serve seven years for Rachel, and dem be like only few days for am, because e love her well well.

At last di seven years finish. Laban do wedding feast and invite everybody. When evening reach, e bring im daughter give Jacob. But for di morning light, Jacob see who e be. Na Leah. Jacob vex go meet Laban. Wetin you do me so? Na for Rachel I work! Why you deceive me? Laban no even shake. For where we come from, we no dey give di younger daughter before di first born. First born. Dat word go don pain am. Years before, Jacob dress like im senior brother to deceive im blind papa. Now, for darkness, di senior sister don deceive am. Genesis no talk say, e serve you right. E just allow us notice am.

Laban make new deal. Finish di wedding week with dis one, and we go give you Rachel too, for another seven years of work. Jacob agree. One week after, Rachel become im wife too, and Jacob work another seven years. No be neat, happy ending. Jacob love Rachel pass Leah, and dat one dey pain. But di very next verse talk say God see Leah, and e care for her. And from dis family wey tangle, wey no fair, wey dey hurt, God go build di twelve tribes of Israel, exactly as e promise.

Di words of Laban, finish her week, point to one real custom. For di ancient Near East, wedding no be only one afternoon. Di feasting fit last one whole week. Di Bible show di same custom later, when di wedding feast of Samson last seven days. As for how di trick work, Genesis no explain. Many commentators talk say di bride cover her face with veil, as Rebekah cover herself before she meet Isaac, and say di darkness of evening do di rest.

Jacob, Rachel and Leah. You go find dia story for Genesis chapter twenty-nine, verse one to thirty. Jacob find out how e dey feel when person deceive you, and Leah find out how e dey feel when people no see you, and God dey work for di life of both of dem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When life no fair, you fit trust say God still dey see you?