The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit

Jose Martinez is a poor young man in East Los Angeles who is secretly in love with the girl next door. He is cornered in an alley by a strange man and, to escape, throws away his wallet with his last $20. The encounter signals the beginning of a bizarre plan that will alter his life.

Gómez returns Martinez's money and explains that he and three others share the same measurements and ambitions. He leads them to a run-down bar where a strange venture begins to take shape. The idea of pooling resources to something bigger starts to crystallize.

Gómez introduces a one-of-a-kind vanilla-ice-cream-white suit that costs $100 and could be owned by pooling their money. He argues that the four of them could own it together if they commit. They realize they need one more person to complete the plan.

Each man contributes $20, leaving $80 short and one more partner to recruit. They bring in Vámonos, an unwashed bum, to contribute the final $20 and join the scheme. The group commits to moving forward with the dream.

They buy the suit and set a rotation: on the first night, each partner will wear it for one hour, then it will continue to be worn for a full night by the next person each week. The arrangement binds them to shared fortune and risk. The suit becomes a tangible symbol of their combined hopes.

Dominguez takes his hour with the suit and guitar, stirring a parade as people hear his music and dance. The crowd's energy validates their unusual plan and gives the group a sense of collective power. The suit becomes a beacon for their dream.

Villanazul uses his hour to interrupt a politician on a soapbox and performs a poem he has written. His words electrify the crowd and reinforce the idea that art and words can mobilize people. The suit becomes a symbol of artistic and social possibility.

During his hour, Martinez returns to the balcony where he first saw the girl next door. The sight of the bright white suit attracts her attention and she finally speaks, giving him her name: Celia Obregon. A personal connection begins to form amid the improbable plan.

On the way to the bus station, Gómez worries that the plan might be a scam to take their money and leave town. Villanazul tells him to go with God, but Gómez ultimately decides to stay and returns to the group. The plan's fate remains in the balance as the night ends.

When Vámonos's turn comes, the others force him to bathe after years of neglect. Gómez imposes strict rules to keep the suit clean and to avoid temptations that could ruin it. They also warn Vámonos to avoid meeting with Ruby Escadrío, whose presence could jeopardize everything.

Vámonos heads to a club where Ruby Escadrío shows up and dances with him. Toro, Ruby's boyfriend, grows angry, and the others rush to shield Vámonos. The tension between loyalty to the group and romantic entanglements escalates quickly.

Toro hits Vámonos with his car, breaking his leg. In a frantic bid to keep the suit intact, they pull it off before ambulance personnel arrive, worried they would cut the suit off. They rush Vámonos to the hospital, saving the man and the suit, but the night leaves them shaken.

In the hospital aftermath, Dominguez irons the suit and places it on a mannequin, preserving its legend. The four friends sleep on a rooftop, with only a few hammocks between them and the city below. The suit remains one of the few things they truly own together.

Martinez reflects that if they were rich, they might have never shared the extraordinary time they had together. Villanazul tells him to get some sleep, and the night ends on a quiet, intimate note of camaraderie. The suit, now a symbol more than a possession, anchors their bond.