Chapter 3 - Oom Pieta gee raad

MAIN PLOT

• At the beginning of this chapter, Brand and Hugo have an argument because Hugo thinks Brand sucks up to teachers to become head boy. He calls him a "kruiper" (suck-up).
• They have an athletics practice and mr. Vorster encourages them by saying they will do well at interhigh in a few weeks time.
• Mr Theron, the rugby coach, and says he is happy they are training so hard as preparation for the rugby season that year.
• Brand tells him that he will not be playing rugby that year and mr Theron laughs and think he is making a joke. He later becomes angry and aggressive when he finds out that it is in fact true.
• Brand says that he doesn't want to play because they live far from town and that he has a lot of school work to focus on.
• Brand's whole family has played provincial rugby and it would be a disappointment if he did not play as well.
• Brand's dad goes into town and he is given the task of closing the back gate by the watering hole. On his way there, he runs into uncle Pieta.
• Uncle Pieta tells him that the right decision depends on your motivation behind it and that you always have to be honest with yourself. You cannot let anyone else choose for you, you have to do it yourself and then live with the decision.
• Brand does not want anyone to know the real reason - piano-playing - for him not playing rugby. He is scared that people will say he is a sissy.
• Uncle Pieta also says that the task of a teacher is to teach subject matter and then secondly to develop the talents of their learners. If the teacher is only concerned about winning, he does not take the learners' welfare into account anymore.
• When he goes back home, he finds mr. Vorster on the porch with his parents. Mr. Vorster agreed to help his mom with the sub-editing of her short stories.

HOOFSTORIE

• Aan die begin van hierdie hoofstuk, stry Brand and Hugo omdat Hugo meen Brand kruip by die onderwysers om sodoende hoofseun te word. Hy noem hom 'n "kruiper".
• Die seuns oefen atletiek en meneer Vorster moedig hulle aan deur te sê dat hulle 'n goeie kans staan by die interhoër wat oor 'n paar weke plaasvind.
• Meneer Theron, die rugby-afrigter, sê hy is bly hulle oefen so hard om fiks te bly vir die rugbyseisoen.
• Brand vertel hom dat hy nie daardie jaar rugby sal speel nie en meneer Theron lag, omdat hy glo dat dit 'n grap is. Hy word later kwaad en aggressief wanneer hy uitvind dat dit waar is en dat hy werklik nie gaan speel nie.
• Brand gebruik die verskoning dat hulle ver van die skool af bly en dat hy baie skoolwerk het.
• Brand se hele familie het generasies lank provinsiale rugby gespeel en dit sal 'n teleurstelling wees as hy nie ook speel nie.
• Brand se pa gaan dorp toe en los 'n instruksie vir Brand. Hy moet die hek by die suiping gaan toemaak en oppad soontoe loop hy vir oom Pieta raak.
• Oom Pieta vertel hom dat die regte besluit afhang van jou motivering agter die besluit. Jy moet altyd eerlik wees met jouself en nie toelaat dat ander mense vir jou kies nie - jy moet dit self doen en dan saamleef met daardie besluit.
• Brand wil nie hê mense moet die regte rede agter sy besluit om nie rugby te speel, weet nie. Hy is bang hulle sal hom spot en sê hy is 'n sussie.
• Oom Pieta sê ook dis die rol van 'n onderwyser om te onderrig en ook die talente van hulle leerders te ontwikkel. As dit slegs om wen gaan, gee die onderwyser nie meer om oor die kind se welsyn nie.
• Wanneer hy by die huis kom, is meneer Vorster daar. Dié het gekom om te help met sy ma se kortverhale.