The protagonist lived through war as a child, spending his early life in underground shelters. One day, he goes deaf from a particularly intense assault, and the doctor pushes gauze into his ears.
His family immigrates to another country, where they, too, become quiet as language barriers make it difficult to communicate. The protagonist has to learn a new written language, but faces less trouble on account of not being expected to communicate.
After his parents die, the protagonist eventually visits the doctor after his eyes and head start to hurt. The doctor inspects him and pulls the long-forgotten gauze out of his ears, and suddenly, he can hear again. The sensation overloads him. When he goes home, he stuffs tissues back into his ears, and returns to silence.
