Chapter 5 - Blou Maandag

MAIN PLOT

• Brand wakes up and rushes off for school. In the car, he discusses with his sister the sign boards that they need to make for the bulls that will go on show in August.
• When they get to school, Hugo makes fun of Brand for inviting teachers to his house to stay over. He says that Brand is advocating to be headboy and that he is buying votes.
• Martin encourages Brand to hit Hugo and Brand makes the statement that he will not stoop down to Hugo's level. He says that if people want to believe Hugo's statements, they are not his real friends and don't know him at all.
• At athletics practice, Brand is in a bad mood and doesn't want to talk to anyone. He goes to the grade 8 concert practice where Hugo antagonises him again by saying that he is sucking up to the grade 8's to become head boy. Or that he has his eye on a grade 8 girl and is trying to impress her by playing the piano.
• Brand doubts his decision to play in the grade 8 concert and tells Lindie to find someone else. She eventually convinces him to still play.
• Brand remembers a fight he had with Martin in grade 6. Martin was growing tired of waiting for Brand to finish piano lessons and said that Brand should rather play with the other girls in their class and with dolls. They have an altercation and Brand ultimately wins. Martin then has to say that Brand is not a sissy.
• The next day Martin and Brand need to paint the athletics hurdles for interhigh. They start a paint fight and are reprimanded by mr. Vorster. Their punishment is that they must take part in the school's debating evening - Martin as a speaker, Brand to play the piano.
• That night, his father says that he heard gunshots the previous night but didn't find anything near the fence that morning.

HOOFSTORIE

• Brand word wakker en haas skool toe. In die kar, bespreek hy en Lizelle die borde wat gemaak moet word vir die skou waarna hulle bulle heen gaan in Augustus.
• Wanneer hulle by die skool aankom, spot Hugo brand omdat meneer Vorster daar oorgeslaap het. Hy meen Brand werf stemme vir hoofseun en probeer stemme koop.
• Martin moedig Brand aan om Hugo te slaan, maar Brand meen hy sal homself nie so verneder nie. Hy sê dat as mense Hugo se aannames wil glo, hulle of nie sy regte vriende is nie, of hulle ken hom nie werklik nie.
• By die atletiekoefening is Brand in 'n slegte bui en nie lus vir gesels nie. Hy gaan daarna na die graad 8-konsertoefening en daar tart Hugo hom. Hy meen Brand probeer stemme vir hoofseun werf by die graad 8's of dat hy 'n ogie op 'n graad 8-meisie het en haar probeer beïndruk deur klavier te speel.
• Brand twyfel in sy besluit om aan die konsert deel te neem, maar nadat Lindie hom oorreed, stem hy weer in.
• Brand dink terug aan 'n geveg wat hy en Martin in graad 6 gehad het. Martin het verveeld vir Brand gewag om klaar te maak met klavierles en toe gesê dat Brand eerder met die meisies moet gaan speel. Die twee het baklei en toe Brand wen, moes Martin sê dat Brand nie 'n sussie is nie.
• Die volgende dag moet Martin en Brand die atletiekhekkies verf vir interhoër. Hulle begin mekaar met verf smeer en word gestraf deur meneer Vorster. Hulle straf is dat beide aan die skool se debataand moet deelneem: Martin moet 'n toespraak lewer en Brand moet die klavier speel.
• Daardie aand vertel Brand se pa dat hy die vorige aand geweerskote gehoor het, maar niks langs die draad langs die teerpad gekry het toe hy daardie oggend ondersoek ingestel het nie.