Fire Rooster

Lunar New Year fell on Jan 31. Anyone born before that date belongs to the previous year (Monkey).

Roosters are tuned to whether a thing is right. A button done up wrong or numbers that do not add up, and they will say so before they can stop themselves. They work from lists, close the loop, arrive when they said they would, and start to itch if you are ten minutes late. They come across as particular, clear, a little sharp. Half of that sharpness points inward: they are more afraid of being wrong than anyone, so they audit the room first. They would rather be the one who checked than the one who assumed.

The sun is down, the birds are on their perches, and the fire at the hill's foot is a small red heap that makes no sound. Such people are warm, but the heat stays inside: they notice who in the room is cold and are first to fetch a coat or pour water. They like order, put things back, speak precisely, one sentence for one thing. The fire is not shown to strangers, and being read as distant gets no explanation. Much later someone sees they never left.