Lena is the only girl in the house, but that's not the only thing that makes her different from her four siblings. The boys like to go with their mother to the river, where she makes clay pots and pans and where washerwomen from nearby farms wash their clothes and dishes. They play in the woods and chase the farm animals. Lena doesn't like any of that. Lena likes to play indoors, always alone, with the windows closed, away from the sun. On the farm, they wait for Seu Deraldo, a farmer who lives in the city and who visits the property from time to time, to come. This time, the visit is more emotional than the others because Seu Deraldo won't be returning alone. Everyone there knows it. Everyone there feels it.
