In New Iberia, Louisiana, a boy realizes that although his father Will has different opinions from most people, he is a popular man. The boy enjoys watching his father drink sodas with his friends, but he also sees that his father is the only one who believes that Black people should be treated as equals. The boy asks his father why he drinks with the other men when they always disagree, but his father says they are “good fellows” even despite the disagreements. 

As the boy, his father, and his mother Margaret drive home from the bar in the rain, a police officer drives by to tell them a Black convict and a white convict have escaped from prison. The boy’s mother tells Will that they must be dangerous, but after they arrive home, Will puts on a raincoat and hat to look for the men. Margaret exclaims that the news story on the radio said that one of the men is a murderer, but Will leaves. The boy stays up until three in the morning, when his father finally returns. Will says he didn’t find anything, but his son does not believe him and hears his parents arguing. His father say, “Damn it, Margaret. The man’s hurt.” 

The next morning, the boy sees that his mother is upset and refuses his father’s invitation to go see a movie. Instead, he sneaks into the yard to see if his father is hiding anything in their outdoor cabin. He immediately sees a booted pant leg and smells a horrible stench and realizes that his father is hiding one of the convicts, a Black man with a bloody tear across his shirt. Then, the boy feels his father’s hands grab him and turns to see his angry eyes. His father says he should have listened to him and explains that the man robbed a laundromat and was given fifty-six years of jail time. Upon returning back to the house, the boy hears his parents arguing again and sees that his father looks lonelier than ever. 

That night, Will goes to talk to the convict, telling him he can either drive him to the sheriff’s office or set him free. The convict asks what sort of game Will is playing, but Will gives him food and a flashlight. As the convict disappears into the night, the boy wonders how his father could risk breaking the law for someone who did not even thank him. 

The next night, the boy notices the flashlight light darting among the trees in their yard: the convict has returned. He explains that Will did not tell him about the roadblock that would prevent him from escaping, and he asks if he can stay to work for Will’s family. Will asks where the convict got his new clothes from, if he killed anyone since last night. Will tells his son to go inside, and the boy fears that his father will kill the man. 

The boy cries as he runs into the house, and when his father comes back, he accuses him of having murdered someone. Two hours later, the boy watches as the sheriff leads the convict into a police car. The boy tells Will that no one will believe that the same man who helped the convict also turned him in.