When his father dies, Eliécer is left to care for the half-sister he’s never met, called Esperanza. His mission is to take the girl to the capital to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. The decision not to take responsibility for the girl, and the fulfilment of his duty, oblige Eliécer to set out on a journey on which he will accept the company of Toño, the young boatman whose dream is to make it to the city to become a boxing champion. At the end of the road, Eliécer must decide if he wants the home and family that he and Esperanza had lost.