Richard is a Black Viennese man working as an interior decorator in New York City. He lives with his wife, Eugénie, a rather dramatic French woman. They go to pick up their son, Kurt, from Grand Central Station. He has just spent the last couple of months and boarding school, and his mother missed him dearly. She dotes over him unnecessarily, much to the annoyance of both Kurt and Richard. But her happiness is soon splintered when Richard asks, on Kurt’s behalf, if Kurt can go on a cross-country road trip with his friends. Richard argues that the boy already feels different enough, considering his European background and that it would be a good opportunity for him. Eugénie is abhorred that Kurt would leave her, and she tries to fight the men on the subject, but they win. She must acquiesce. They see Kurt off a few days later. After leaving Grand Central Station, Eugénie goes off alone to the park, where she drowns herself in the pond. Kurt is numb and depressed at the thought of his mother’s death, whereas Richard just cannot believe that he didn’t sense anything was wrong.