Harlem Girl Lost (36 page)
Authors: Treasure E. Blue
F
irst and foremost, I must thank God. Though I questioned your existence many times, it is clear and without doubt: Your love and supreme compassion carried me forth when I could not carry myself.
To my four beautiful children, Steven, Treasure, Trevor, and Justice: I love you guys more than life itself. Everything I do, everything I live for, is for you.
Never
, and I repeat, never, let anyone tell you otherwise. As long as you stay leaders and never followers, as long as you say “hell no” to drugs, as long as you remember never to use the worst word in the world, and you know what word that is, you will grow to become the fine individuals you are destined to be. Love, Daddy.
To my father, Robert Smalls, over thirty years ago you used to tell people, “Harlem is going to be a tourist attraction, and brownstones are going to be worth over a million dollars,” and they all laughed at you. You are the most honest, giving man I have ever known. You would give a person the shirt off your back if they asked. I never understood that and hated that shit. But in time I learned that in order to receive, one must first give. You are truly a rich man, rich in love, rich in health, and rich with family only because you gave unconditionally.
To my brother, Rob, hold that shit down in the feds, nigga,
and I'll take care of the rest when you come home. To my sisters, Rosalyn, Andrea, Karen, and Gail, I hope I'm finally making y'all proud of me—it just took your lil’ brother some time to get his things together. My nephews and nieces, Tony, Michael, Lamont (Smalls), David (nada is hot, kid), Leon (my twin), Adrian (A.O.), Robert (my brother's boy), Cherice (my reesy neecy), Christina, Janaya, and Ayanna, Uncle love y'all.
To the Sellers family, thanks for showing me what it's like to have a “real” family! Love you, Dolly! Thanks Tiah for everything.
A very special thanks to Tracy Sherrod, the greatest agent in the business.
To Nakea Murray of As the Page Turns, you are without a doubt the best publicist in this urban fiction business. Your time is coming real soon! You are a true friend and are never fake or phony—I love you for that!
To Carvelas, the D.C. Bookman, thanks for everything. I can never repay you. P.S., learn how to shoot Blackman … it is not a game!
To the team at Random House: Melody Guy, Danielle Durkin, Jane von Mehren, Libby McGuire, Kim Hovey, Tom Perry, Brian McLendon, Gilly Hailparn, Lindsey Benoit, Dreu Pennington-McNeil, Penny Haynes, Patricia Nicolescu, Erin Bekowies, Barbara Bachman—thanks for everything.
To my baby Annette—thanks for the love and support—I really do need you!
Using the streets as a means of survival, T
REASURE
E
.
B
LUE
soon found himself involved with some of Harlem's most notorious elements. Retiring from the game at the tender age of sixteen, Blue managed to become one of the youngest people to receive his GED in New York State. Joining the military at seventeen, he developed a voracious appetite for books.
After serving his country honorably, he joined the New York City Fire Department and worked as a supervising fire inspector in the Bronx. He is also an active member of the American Studies Association. Blue is the father of four children and he lives in New York City. He is currently working on the screen version of
Harlem Girl Lost
and writing his next novel. You can contact the author at
[email protected]
.
Harlem Girl Lost
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2004 by Treasure E. Blue
All rights reserved.
O
NE
W
OR LD
is a registered trademark and the One World colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-0-307-49581-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Blue, Treasure E.
Harlem girl lost: a novel / Treasure E. Blue.
p. cm.
“A One World Books trade pbk. original”—T.p. verso
1. African American women—New York (State)—New York—Fiction.
2. Harlem (New York, N.Y)—Fiction. 3. Street life—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.L85H37 2006
813′.6—dc22 2006050733
9 8 7 6 5 4 3
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