{"id":69,"date":"2026-01-21T14:33:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/?p=69"},"modified":"2026-01-21T14:33:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T14:33:36","slug":"uguluva-chapter-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/uguluva-chapter-10\/","title":{"rendered":"uGULUVA Chapter 10"},"content":{"rendered":"
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uGULUVA.<\/div>\n
CHAPTER 10.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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PHINDILE GWALA.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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R150,000 just for pretending? I still can\u2019t believe Ncanezwe. After our agreement, MK\u2014his personal driver\u2014dropped me off at home. It\u2019s 20:30, and I\u2019m curled up on the couch, catching up on The Real Housewives Ultimate Trip, indulging in my snack haven\u2014tomato-flavoured chips\u2014when my phone vibrates.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A message from Nobantu.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201c50 hours later, still waiting.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I sigh deeply. What is it with her and breathing down my neck like this? I quickly exit Showmax and dial her number. It rings once\u2026 twice\u2026 and she answers on the third ring.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYa,\u201d she responds, her usual attitude thick in her voice.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cBantu, sawubona. Is Ma okay?\u201d I ask.<\/div>\n
(hello)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I already know I can\u2019t speak to Ma directly. She took her phone after I bought her a smartphone\u2014apparently she\u2019s too old for one. After that, I bought her a simple cellphone with buttons. Two weeks later, Siminaye accidentally dropped it into a bucket of water, and they only noticed the next day. I sent Nobantu money to replace it, but she said she forgot because Sxova needed money and promised she would replace it. It\u2019s been eight months now.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHow can Ma be okay, Phindile?\u201d she snaps. \u201cHer medication is finished. Kanti yini le oyihlalele lapho eGoli uma kuzofanela ukuthi ngikucenge when you have to buy your mother\u2019s medication?\u201d<\/div>\n
(So what exactly are you doing there in Johannesburg if I still have to beg you to buy your mother\u2019s medication?)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I sigh, then clear my throat. \u201cI\u2019ll send the money, sisi. Please use the kids\u2019 grant for her medication for now\u2014I\u2019ll pay it back.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHeeeheeee!\u201d she laughs loudly.<\/div>\n
\u201cNgeke ukubone lokho, izingane zami zidleni? Angithi kuyimanje uyahluleka ukondla unyoko? Hayike sisi, khohlwa. And again\u2014send the money kusasa. Angisafuni ukuzwa ama excuses. Nxn!\u201d<\/div>\n
(That will never happen\u2014what will my children eat? Isn\u2019t it clear now that you\u2019re failing to take care of your own mother? No, sister, forget it. … tomorrow. I don\u2019t want to hear any more excuses.)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The call ends before I can say another word. I lower the phone slowly as tears stream down my face. I know Ncanezwe will give me the money\u2014but this burden? Her words? They cut sharper than a knife.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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At this point, I can say it without doubt: my older sister hates me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I drop the phone onto my lap, staring at the dark screen like it might suddenly soften her words and play them back kinder. But it doesn\u2019t. Nobantu\u2019s voice still echoes in my ears\u2014sharp, accusing, unforgiving.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I wipe my face with the sleeve of my hoodie, annoyed at myself for crying. Crying won\u2019t buy Ma her medication. Crying won\u2019t silence my sister. Crying has never fixed anything in my life.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I sniff, take a deep breath, and reach for my snack, suddenly tasteless. The women on the screen are still arguing over something ridiculous\u2014champagne, villas, who said what behind whose back. Their lives feel like another universe entirely. I pause the show and let the room fall quiet.<\/div>\n
R150,000.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The number floats back into my mind like a ghost.<\/div>\n
Ncanezwe Cele\u2019s calm voice. His unreadable eyes.<\/div>\n
Pretend. Just pretend.<\/div>\n
That\u2019s what he called it. Just playing a role. Just an agreement. My stomach twists. I sit up straighter, pulling my knees to my chest. If I accept this job fully\u2014whatever it truly is\u2014I can solve so much. Ma\u2019s medication won\u2019t be a monthly crisis. Nobantu won\u2019t have to beg. The girls won\u2019t grow up hearing adults fight about money like I did.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But at what cost? My phone vibrates again. My heart jumps, half-expecting another attack from Nobantu. Instead, it\u2019s a message notification\u2014unknown number.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“Did you get home safely, MaP?”<\/div>\n
My breath catches. It’s him, it can only be him, he’s the one who calls like this. But why does he always sound like he already knows the answer? I stare at the message for a few seconds before replying.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Yes, thank you. I\u2019m home.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Three dots appear almost immediately.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ncanezwe: Good.<\/div>\n
I will send you money tonight.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My chest tightens, pride and relief clashing violently inside me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me:<\/div>\n
You don\u2019t have to\u2014<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The message delivers before I can finish typing.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ncanezwe Cele: I said I will.<\/div>\n
Sleep well, Phindile.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I set the phone down slowly, my hand trembling more than I\u2019d like to admit. The room feels quieter somehow, but the echo of his words lingers. Sleep doesn\u2019t come easily tonight; my mind keeps replaying the conversation, the tone of his messages, the unspoken command beneath the words.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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*<\/div>\n
NCANEZWE CELE.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I glance at my phone and a slow smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. Two birds with one stone\u2014always the cleanest kind of win. I set the phone down and light up, drawing in the smoke like it owes me something. Her response had surprised me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I had expected resistance. Tears, bargaining, maybe even a moral lecture. That\u2019s usually how it goes before I remind people who they\u2019re dealing with. I had already prepared the leverage\u2014the things I keep buried for moments like that.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But she folded. Just like that. No fight. No drama. It made things easier. Easier always means faster. I exhale slowly when my phone rings. MK.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cKhuluma nami,\u201d I say, answering without ceremony.<\/div>\n
(Talk to me)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cBhoza,\u201d MK\u2019s voice is tight, controlled but strained. That\u2019s never a good sign.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe have a huge problem. The shipment is getting delayed.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I don\u2019t say anything. Silence makes men talk too much.<\/div>\n
\u201cLanga and his crew,\u201d he adds.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My jaw tightens. I should\u2019ve killed him the last time. The smoke burns my lungs as I take another drag, my eyes fixed on nothing in particular. Langa had been allowed to breathe out of courtesy\u2014old alliances, old blood ties, people begging me to be patient. Patience is overrated.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHow delayed?\u201d I finally ask.<\/div>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re stalling at the border. Using influence. Playing games.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I chuckle, low and humorless. \u201cHe always did like pretending he\u2019s smarter than he is.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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There\u2019s a pause on the line. MK knows that tone. It\u2019s the sound of decisions already made.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cPull the secondary route,\u201d I continue calmly. \u201cAnd tell the boys to stand down\u2014for now.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cFor now?\u201d MK echoes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYes,\u201d I say. \u201cIf Langa wants my attention, I\u2019ll give it to him properly. No rush. I want him comfortable.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I end the call before he can ask questions. Another drag. Another exhale. Everything is aligning too neatly\u2014Phindile falling into place, Langa resurfacing like a bad habit. Fate has a strange sense of humour, but I\u2019ve learned how to bend it. I pick up my phone again, scrolling to her name. So compliant. So unaware. I smile. Soon, everyone will understand one thing very clearly\u2014 Nothing moves without my permission.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I set the phone down and let the smoke curl around me, watching it twist like a warning. Langa thinks he can play games. Let him. Let him think he\u2019s clever. I\u2019ve been patient enough to let others make mistakes on my time. That patience ends when I say it does.<\/div>\n
I scroll through her messages again, my thumb hovering over the last one. Phindile. She is oblivious to just how deep she\u2019s stepping. Most wouldn\u2019t dare. Most wouldn\u2019t survive. But she\u2026 she obeyed. She complied. No hesitation, no hesitation to think twice. That kind of instinct\u2014she doesn\u2019t even know she has it yet\u2014can be dangerous if handled correctly.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I pick up my glass of whiskey, swirling it slowly. Amber liquid catching the dim light. I sip. Calm. Controlled. But inside, the gears are turning faster than ever. Plans forming. Contingencies stacking. I never leave a problem unresolved.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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MK\u2019s voice still echoes in my head. Langa. Delays. Weakness. Mistakes that will cost someone dearly. I can feel the tension tightening in the pit of my stomach. That tension\u2014I feed on it. It\u2019s the kind of thrill most men can\u2019t stomach.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I tap a few numbers on my phone, sending silent orders. Secondary routes, backup teams, eyes on Langa from every angle. Every man I trust is already moving without question. Langa won\u2019t even see it coming. Then I set the phone down, lean back, and let out a slow breath.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Phindile will be ready. Langa will be exposed. And when the pieces fall, only one question will remain for everyone involved: Who really controls the game? I smile again. This time, wider. The night is mine. It has always been.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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*<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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100+ comments & 10 shares. \"\ud83d\udc8b\"<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

uGULUVA. CHAPTER 10. PHINDILE GWALA. R150,000 just for pretending? I still can\u2019t believe Ncanezwe. After our agreement, MK\u2014his personal driver\u2014dropped […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uguluva"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69\/revisions\/79"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}