The death of a school friend forces Toño to face the ghosts of his past while at the renowned "St. Vierja Academy," one of Panama's most exclusive catholic schools for boys during the 1970s.

Toño (60) is a successful physician working in the US. When his best friend from school, Pablo, calls to tell him that a close friend from school has died, he travels to Panama to pay his respects. In the cemetery, his memory takes over and he begins to recollect his days in the renowned St. Vierja Academy, one of Panama's most exclusive catholic schools for boys in the 1970s. Toño entered the school at age 12 but most of his classmates had already been there for some time. He soon is the target of bullying and ridicule by students and teachers alike, especially from the civics teacher, nicked named "El Maleante" (The Thug), the vice-principal (Sancho), and the physics teacher nicked named "Neutino", and also the target of sexual abuse by a pedophile priest. But Toño hides a secret from everyone, one for which in the end he will have to pay dearly.—Jose Stoute ([email protected])