Manu is on his usual walk home from a swim lesson when he finds himself in deep trouble. The cashier at his neighborhood convenience store doesn't recognize him and is suspicious. After Manu buys his snack and continues walking home, he senses something lurking behind him. He realizes he's being followed by a police car, and tries to keep calm. All the while, he is guided by the voice of his mother, who has been teaching him how to swim, and giving him the talk, the one that mothers give their sons about how to stay afloat in the world as a Black boy. Manu gets home unscathed, but recalls the painful memory of his best friend, who was not so lucky.