After his father passes away, Xuma heads for the city in search of work to be able to support his family back home. Here, he is introduced to Stella, a middle-aged woman who runs an illegal shabeen and who offers him a place to stay after he finds employment at a nearby mining plant. Xuma is introduced to Stella's niece, Pinkie, and the pair hit it off almost immediately. But when Pienkie falls pregnant and tragically dies during the complicated procedure of having an abortion, Xuma is shattered. Blaming himself for her death, he decides to leave the city and return home to his family instead.