Thanks to a severe attack of laryngitis, a woman loses her voice completely for two days.

To help her communicate, her husband devises an elaborate system of taps.

One tap means “Give me a kiss”, two taps meant “Yes,” seven taps means “No.”

Ninety-five taps means “Take out the garbage.”

Richard Kostelanetz wrote this story, which is from A MODERN DECAMERON, a book in progress.