When Alma’s new neighbors realize that the lot is under new construction, they start a tide of rumors, or “chismes” in Spanish, about what the parcel will hold. After weeks of bulldozing and clearing, the builders erect a stucco wall topped with pretty ironwork. This causes residents to think that the new structure may be a school or park, but the foreman tells them that it will be a cemetery. At first, the people are angry, but the foreman explains that the cemetery is not for people or for pets. The foreman asks Alma, whom he calls doña (lady), for more information and she tells him that the cemetery is for untold stories, but he does not understand her. A black box is placed at the main gate, and when people push the button, a recorded voice asks them to tell a story. The gate only opens if the story is deemed acceptable.

The first visitor permitted to enter the cemetery is Filomena, a quiet, middle-aged woman who lives nearby. During the week, Filomena lives in the house of an old woman whom she takes care of and calls la viejita (little old woman).