Push The Button by Feminista Jones Page A

Marcus retrieved a cigarette from the box in his pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply. He glanced over at David.
    “Did Nicole ever tell you about the time she first learned about the other uses for rice?” Marcus began. David sucked His teeth and turned to go back into the house. Marcus stopped Him. “No, no, this is good. Let me tell this story.” Marcus lowered his voice a bit.
    “You see, I was at a new site and I’d pulled a 14 hours day. Man was I exhausted. I called Nicole during lunch and told her that I’d be in late. She knew that she should have had my dinner waiting for me, right? I mean, that’s what any decent woman does for a man who works a long, hard day. Well,” he continued, as a sardonic smile spread across his face, “I came home and didn’t smell a single thing cooked. Man! Ca you believe that shit?” He took another pull from his cigarette, waited a few seconds, then exhaled.
    “Came in and found her asleep on the couch, fully clothed, knowing damned well no clothes were allowed in the house. I mean, what the fuck man, right? So I yanked her up out of her sleep and shook her until she awakened. A few slaps, you know, nothing serious. She woke up and I told her to strip. Since she didn’t want to cook my rice, I decided to teach her how it could be used when not on my dinner table. You know how that goes, right  Sir ? I poured the rice out on the floor and made the bitch kneel on that rice, right then and there. Made her stay her ass there for an hour while I cooked my own goddamned dinner. Man I was so pissed at her! What man works all day and has to come home and cook his own fucking dinner, right?” Marcus took another drag from his cigarette, shaking his head.
    “Man to man, Sir to Sir, be real with me… You ever have those problems with her?” he asked David.
    “What was THAT??!?!” Janice yelled as she heard a crash come from the front porch. She and Nicole were running to the front door to see what caused the commotion. Nicole made it first and saw Marcus on his back, David on top of him punching him repeatedly.
    “Baby… No!!!” she screamed and ran to try and pull Him off of Marcus.
    “Oh my God, David what are you DOING?!” Janice yelled. “You’re gonna kill that boy!!”
    “My boy ain’t no punk!” Joseph said from right behind her. He leaned over to see what was going on. “It was bound to happen. Sometimes you gotta let them boys fight it out!”
    “Joe help them!!” she implored.
    “A man’s gotta fight, Janice!!” he repeated and backed up a few steps, pulling her with him.
    “Baby, please, pleeeease you’re gonna kill him, baby stop!!” Nicole begged pulling at David’s arm. In the split second she distracted Him, Marcus was able to get a solid punch to David’s gut, knocking the wind out of Him. David toppled backwards and He fell into Nicole’s legs and she lost her footing. Before she could grab onto anything or anyone, she fell backwards off of the porch screaming, a full flight of steps above the concrete ground. Her body hit the ground with a thud and her head bounced on the concrete at last three times.
    “Star!!!” David screamed, shoving Marcus off of Him as He ran down the stairs. “Call an ambulance!!!!” He screamed as He began to see blood trickle onto the ground. “Nicole, baby…baby wake up, baby please!” He begged. She didn’t respond, though she was still breathing. “Call a fucking ambulance!!” He screamed as the tears sprang to His eyes. “Baby please, I’m so sorry, please baby, pleeease don’t leave me,” He plead as He gathered her body into His arms. He began rocking her back and forth.
    Marcus came running down the stairs. “The ambulance is on its way,” he assured. “Shit, man, is she OK?” he asked trying to get a better look at her.
    “Stay back, motherfucker!! You stay the fuck away from us. This is YOUR fault!! I swear to God if anything happens to her…” He stopped short when He heard the