Azaria is a young shepherd who looks after a herd of oxen in which Mabata Bata reigns. This beef will be used to pay the dowry known as "lobolo", provided by Azariah's uncle for the young man's wedding. Azaria would dream of being a normal child, of going to school, a wish that her grandmother also shares.

One day, while Azaria is in the meadows, Mabata Bata steps on a mine - a remnant of the civil war - which explodes.

The young man, terrified at the thought of his uncle's reaction, flees into the forest, taking the carcass of the ox with him. The grandmother and uncle go to look for him to persuade him to come back. This film is an adaptation of a short story by award-winning writer Mia Couto.