"Sometimes it gets a little rough. Like wheels made of steel going uphill mountain. Better stand tall, if you're gonna stand at all. And if you're gonna fall, well you might as well fall."

I reread the text message thinking I misunderstood. My Mongolian is bad, but its not that bad. I read it loud and clear. Shijirbaatar was telling me that today there was no coal. What I didn't understand was how that could be so. I pass the behemoth pile I leech my coal from every day outside the school. The huge black megalithic chunks casting shadows on me as I stride past, looking up longingly. The massive hoard of fuel only seems to laugh back at me, I'm at the mercy of my school, which chooses to spoon feed me portions of coal by the wheelbarrow full, once or twice a week. After four days of pestering Shijirbaatar that my supply was dangerously low, I was now running on empty. I silently cursed the spring for not coming sooner, and for Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolia holiday fast approaching next week which surely has kept every Mongolian in my soum busy. Deciding it would be fruitless to give Shijirbaatar a weather and temperature reminder, I step outside to assess my fuel situation. Going out into the fading evening light I sigh at the sight before me, a few meager branches make up the last of my wood stockpile, that main source of fuel also near depleted. My coal pile is even more pitiful, merely a black stain in the snow where coal once sat. I kicked the dust in frustration, how could something seemly so easy to fix be so difficult. I needed help. I'm lucky to have so many allies. Marching past Dakraa's limitless pile of wood I entered my neighbor's house, pulling the door shut against the snow and wind behind me.

"Yasan be?" (What's the matter?) Tuya greeted me, sensing my mood and expression. She stopped mid-meat carving, telling me to sit down and brought me tea. In the background Misheel, her six year old daughter waved at me from the floor in front of the TV. I smile and wave back. Janii, our teenage neighbor boy tinkered on the computer, barely acknowledging my presence. I showed Tuya the message I got. "There is coal at the school", she said confused, "why did he say that?" I told her I didn't know and explained I didn't understand and was frustrated. She pondered a moment then gave a sidelong glance at Janii, still lost in his computer game, oblivious to her gaze. "Today is very cold and very windy", she muttered to herself, glancing out the window at her house's cache of wooden logs and branches.

"Janii" she said.

"Go chop wood."

I'm warm tonight.