I relocate to a colony of meerkats. Dressed in a mongoose stole over nothing, I stand still with my hands tucked beneath my chin. In due time, the meerkats accept me. I flick my ears back and forth to say thank you.

I earn my keep as a scout, leaving the tunnels daily to scan for hawks. When one swoops low, I steal its flight with my bare hands and rip it open for the pups, who twitch their ears. The blue hot sky stands still with its hands tucked beneath the sun.