The story begins with the passing of little Manolo's mother. She left instructions with their ranch hand, Salvador, to deliver Manolo to their only family in the northern part of Mexico. Along the way, Manolo and Salvador encounter great adventures including a sinister drunk, a deceiving carnival owner, a magician, and the beautiful Paloma. The adventure does not end in northern Mexico When Manolo and Salvador accidentally enter the United States on a train, they find themselves walking the streets of an American border town. Here they come across a wealthy neighborhood where ten Mexican gardeners are preparing to have a social. They explain that they all work for wealthy men, who are using the funds from their businesses to take vacations, meanwhile writing these off as, "conventions." So, every time their bosses leave, they use their houses to have their own "conventions" with fajitas and beer. Each of the men tells a tale during one of these socials, each with its own plot, moral lesson, and satire.