Two men are lifelong friends. They worked together in their home town until redundancy changed their lives. Both have practical outlooks on life and a thoroughly down-to-earth way of observing people and events, though each has his individual interpretations. This is a comical interchange between them; their natural humanity shines through. Both tend to cultivate thought-provoking ideas: some radical, others downright absurd that stimulate seemingly ordinary lives. Alfred enjoys a happy family life and gets by on a modest pension. His multifarious interests range from comparative religion to gambling, and he is liable to dominate a conversation on any subject with a passion that can easily switch from trivial banter to serious contemplation. His innate spirituality leads him to search for a closer appreciation of life, death and the hereafter.

Disillusioned with traditional Christianity, he has read widely towards this goal, describing himself as a 'seeker of the Truth'. After receiving mysterious spiritual communication he begins to define his enlightenment, but progress is severely tested. In contrast, Bernard's home life is made miserable by a shrewish wife. During moments of depression he finds consolation with his dog. Younger than Alfred, he spends his working life driving a taxi, where he encounters a diversity of passengers: eccentric, humorous, argumentative, charming and threatening. He privately relates to them with natural cynicism and wit through criticism, or admiration, of some extraordinary characters. His view of modern life is one of distrust, seeing divisiveness and injustice everywhere, exacerbating personal frustrations and feeding his prejudices. The sarcasm is occasionally mild but often caustic and iconoclastic.

After taking the plunge to divorce there appears an unexpected boost in the form of a potential loving relationship with another woman. The affair hits a crisis almost before it has begun that provokes much soul-searching.