In 1930’s Madrid the workers in a smart tea room near the Puerta del Sol smooth down their uniforms at the beginning of a new day. Antonia has been there the longest, although nobody has ever recognised her talents. Little Marta has been made bold and determined by misery. Paca, thirty-something and devout, spends her free time at the convent, and Laurita, the owner’s goddaughter, is known as a modern girl. The daily three-peseta wage doesn’t provide any of them with a living, but none of them complain, for fear of… They’re used to keeping their mouths shut, in front of the boss, in front of their husbands, in front of their fathers. Squashing their hopes with the opiate of religion, putting up with long working days for a meagre wage. Only Matilde has the rebellious spirit claimed by the narrator as she joins in the women’s cheerful chat.