Gonzalo's father doesn't speak English, and this creates a number of problems for him. Things aren't so bad when he's at work, surrounded by native Spanish speakers from Mexico and El Salvador. But outside of that environment, Gonzalo's dad struggles and has to rely on his son to talk to the landlady and buy things from stores where you have to speak English.

His problems with the English language continue when he comes across the janitor at his son's old school working on his little garden. Gonzalo's dad is very pleased by what he sees and wants to say something to the janitor, most probably in relation to the planting of seeds. But because he can't speak English, it's not possible to make himself understood.

The next day, Gonzalo's dad returns to the janitor's garden, only this time with his son in tow. He starts showing Gonzalo exactly how far apart the rows in the allotment should be and how deep. This would appear to be what he was trying to tell the janitor the day before.

With the seeds that his wife bought him from the store, Gonzalo's dad begins planting his garden. It's clear from his son that this is a man who knows everything about growing food. In planting his garden, he has gained a whole new lease of life, changing, as his son tells us, "from a baby back into a man."