Illegitimate, Hud grows up with his mother and her Christian family in the Cape Flats. For 28 years he is overlooked by his Muslim father who is no more than a shadowy figure inhabiting the outskirts of his world; a man his mother has always called Mr Johnson. Then, out of the blue, Hud's father informs him that he is to inherit his rare orchid collection, and asks him to move in with him. His father's health suddenly deteriorates, and this sets in motion a chain of events.