In this short (24,000 word) novella, 22-year-old Evander Shaw finds himself shackled down by isolation and poverty. In order to combat his solitude, he relies on his parents, Joseph, his sole friend, and the trees of his backyard to provide him with company, although it never seems to be quite enough. As for the poverty, with the help of Joseph, he engages in jobs of desperation, searching for anything of monetary value wherever it may be. This story, with elements of gambling, nudity, and misfortune, is the tale of one of those jobs of desperation.