Adam looks back, with affection, to his childhood in a small suburban house, with his mum, his crippled and alcoholic dad, their bird Jeanette, and his older brother, who wears an eye patch, has asthma, and gets blamed for things even when he's not around. The boys are boon companions, swiping money from their napping dad and heading for Ruby's store to buy lollies. They draw, collect cans, and watch the brother's pet lizard eat flies (occasionally giving it a snail). Adam's brother has a collection of cigarette butts, and he has a dream: to be an acrobat like their father was before his accident. Can dreams come true?

A nephew recalls the sometimes-lonely and often-eccentric life of his beloved uncle.