Gustave, a 26-year-old man from Congo, has spent a year in Senegal for his work. On his return he hears that his cousin Sidonie has died. He hurries to the wake, but what he finds upsets him greatly. Gossip and secrecy dominate the mood. Gustave wants to track down the mysterious truth behind the death of his young and attractive cousin, who was one of the 'liberated' women of Brazzaville. Should he seek the truth in their youth, when they were inseparable as children? And when Sidonie once saved him from drowning in the Congo river? They had planned to marry, but Sidonie left for Europe to study and Gustave went to Dakar to study architecture. In his quest, Gustave comes into contact with Céline, a friend from Gabon, and Alphonsine, Sidonie's young sister. But the event remains a mystery.