After his mother's death, thirteen-year-old Lakis is forced to move to Athens to live with his cousin Marina, who lives with a gambler named Giorgos. Instead of offering him shelter and food, they send him to work at Benos' gas station, where he sleeps at night. Soon, Lakis befriends his boss's daughter, Kiki, who is the same age as him, but fails to win the sympathy of her brother, Takis. One day, Takis steals a large sum of money from his father's office and suspicion falls on Lakis. Benos confiscates all his money and fires him. Alone and desolate, since Marina has left Athens, he sells the suitcase containing all his belongings and begins to wander here and there.

George and Effie, high school sweethearts from poor families, dream of becoming a teacher and a research physicist, respectively. Despite their teacher’s support, George fails his university exams and moves to Athens for work, finding only temporary construction jobs. Effie, pressured by her father’s financial struggles, agrees to marry a wealthy man to support her family, despite her love for George. Heartbroken by Effie’s marriage and facing unemployment, George decides to emigrate to Germany, ending their love story tragically.