On a Wednesday, a letter from his hometown informs Moab Gwati, a young man living and working in the city, that his mother is on her deathbed. With no money to travel home until his Friday payday, Moab waits until Saturday to visit his mother.

Once Friday arrives, rather than prepare for a trip the next morning, Moab goes out and gets colossally drunk. He picks up a girl named Chipo and sleeps with her that night. He and Chipo spend the rest of the weekend drinking until he runs out of most of his money on Sunday morning. When Moab drops her off at the train station that afternoon, he gives her three shillings.

As Moab walks back to his apartment, he contemplates his mother. On one hand, he feels guilty for not going home as soon as he received his paycheck; on the other, he feels nothing is ever good enough for her. The smell of April leaves and the start of the dry season remind Moab of home, specifically his mother.

On Tuesday, Moab receives a telegram informing him that his mother died Saturday night. Later that day, he comes home to find Chipo naked in his bed.