Jean’s father is always busy at work, so he spends most of his time with his nanny Yvette and neighbour Michelle. His mother is away but nobody talks about her. Luckily Michelle is on hand to read postcards about Mum’s Wild West escapades and, even though they seem far fetched at times, they keep Jean happy. At school, the steel marbles Jean takes from his father’s factory are valuable playground currency but their removal has unexpected consequences.