The Book of Stanley by Todd Babiak Page A

made Kal think of a gerbil. The gerbil in a jean jacket stopped several feet in front of Kal. “What’re you lookin’ at? You got a problem?” He tossed his full can of beer away and it landed on the pavement with a thud.
    Candace hurried to open the back door of the Expedition and lift Layla inside. It only took a minute to buckle her into the booster seat. “No,” said Kal, “stay. I want to talk to you.”
    â€œI don’t want Layla to see this.”
    â€œThere’ll be nothing to see.” Kal turned to the men. “Thanks for your interest, fellas, but no, actually, I don’t have a problem. As for what I was looking at, I was just admiring the pickup truck and the heavy metal hip-hopthing you got going there. What’s the name of the band?”
    The men, who appeared to be about Kal’s age, turned to one another. All three had goatees.
    â€œAnd I want to thank you so much for coming out, for supporting minor league pro hockey. I know I’ll be going back to Saskatoon with my tail between my legs. Between my legs, fellas.”
    The gerbil bent down to tie his shoe. Then, in a flash, he stood up and tossed a handful of dirt and tiny pebbles in Kal’s face.
    Kal heard Candace say, behind him, “Oh, for Christ’s sake.”
    The dust got in his eyes and the men were on him. Kal got low and grabbed a couple of legs, flipped one of the men on his back. But the other two continued to kick and punch, landing blows about Kal’s upper back, shoulders, arms, and ears. It ended when Candace stepped forward and bear-sprayed the attackers. They held their eyes and stomped and cussed so loudly that Kal was sure Layla would hear them through the doors of the SUV .
    â€œFuck, I’m dying. I’m dying,” said the gerbil.
    â€œCall an ambulance!” said another.
    While Kal wiped himself off and allowed his ex-wife, her breath smelling of coffee and cinnamon, to examine cuts on his forehead and in his mouth, the drunks writhed on the pavement and wailed about blindness and retribution.
    â€œGoddamn you.” Candace smirked with affection and nostalgia and, Kal figured, a vast sense of relief that they were no longer married.
    Kal opened the back door of the Expedition to discover his daughter crying. Through her sobs, she asked why the menhad attacked him. Since there wasn’t a satisfying answer to that question, Kal unhooked Layla from the seat, lifted her out, rocked her in his arms, and told her how big she was getting. Twice he had to spit the blood out of his mouth with as much daintiness as he could muster.
    â€œThey hurt you!”
    â€œNo, Layla. Daddy isn’t hurt. Those men couldn’t hurt Daddy.”
    Candace opened the driver’s-side door and tossed the bear spray inside. “That isn’t happening again.”
    â€œI know, sweetheart. That dirty shoe-tying trick.”
    â€œNot your sweetheart any more, Kal.”
    He whispered into his daughter’s ear. “Just let Dad get a few things in order, change his life, and then he’ll come get you and Mom and we’ll all live somewhere nice and pretty together. With palm trees, probably. Right?”
    â€œYeah,” Layla said, into his blood-splattered hoodie.
    â€œTime to go,” said Candace.
    â€œNot without Daddy!”
    â€œYou got playschool tomorrow. You need a bath.”
    â€œNo!”
    Candace yanked Kal away from the vehicle, buckled Layla in, and closed the door. The child screamed again.
    Candace sighed. “Thank you. Really. For a swell evening.”
    â€œSomething happened to me tonight. I see things differently. And I want you and Layla to be a part of it.”
    â€œYou just got in a fistfight, Kal.”
    â€œI’m changing my life.”
    â€œTo what? You don’t know how to do anything else.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter what I do, really, it’s how. Anyway, it’s a feeling more