When a fisherman pulls the body of a white woman from the sea onto the island of Trinidad, the assumed motivation for the murder is man-woman business. As the news spreads, the rage that surfaces - born of generations of colonialism, sexual oppression, and class disparity - is the catalyst for the reunion of two childhood friends. Rosa and Zuela were inseparable for the summer of their 12th year. After they witnessed an unspeakable act through the leaves of a hibiscus bush, however, shame divided them for 20 years. Now, upon hearing about the murdered woman, memories of the horror they witnessed resurface and bring Rosa and Zuela together in a desperate search for liberation.