Khaled, a young Syrian, arrives in Helsinki as a stowaway. He wants to apply for asylum there, with no great expectations for his future. Wikström is a flying salesman for men's shirts and ties. Having reached midlife, he leaves his wife, gives up his job and makes a name for himself as a poker player for a short time. With the little money he wins, he buys a run-down restaurant in a remote alleyway in Helsinki. When the Finnish authorities decide to send Khaled back to the ruins of Aleppo, he decides to stay in the country illegally. Wikström finds him sleeping in the courtyard outside his restaurant. Perhaps he sees something of himself in this battered, battered man. In any case, he hires Khaled as a cleaner and dishwasher. For a moment, life shows us its sunnier side, but soon fate intervenes.