When The Streets Call, Don't Answer

Tyree Turner, a Detroit High School, All City All Star basketball MVP, recent University of Michigan scholarship awardee, model student, community member, son and brother, always does what is expected of him. Raised in substance abuse treatment programs since a young boy, no one would think in a million years that Tyree would involve himself with drugs in any way. This makes him the perfect drug runner according to Uncle Tony," a local dealer who uses his video store as a front for his drug operations. In Uncle Tony's mind, the plan is perfect except Tyree would need a little convincing. Uncle Tony has his work cut out for him if he intends to get Tyree to see things his way. The local "poster boy" for the Bureau of Substance abuse is well respected among adults, educators and peers as much as he is on the basketball court. Uncle Tony devises a plan to manipulate Tyree into a contract using his nephew Jamal, who is also Tyree's former teammate and current classmate. When slyly offered, Tyree accepts money from Jamal not understanding that on the street, when money is accepted, it's contract that can't be broken. There is a debt to be paid. Stuck in a situation he can't get out of, Tyree is forced into make some very serious decisions and has to accept responsibility for his choices, but to what degree? Find out in this thought provoking, emotion-packed story, where readers find themselves rooting for the protagonist with hope, praying that he makes the right choices. In the end, readers are encouraged to place themselves in Tyree's shoes, identify traps, and suggest ways he could have avoided them. They are also challenged to apply the same to their own lives - identify their own personal traps and determine how to avoid them. They are encouraged to take education and learning seriously and to seek viable alternatives when traditional education doesn't meet their needs or is not conducive to their growth and development - to stand strong while facing adversity and avoid drug or alcohol when dealing with frustrations. While the target audience for this heart-felt story is young-adult, the messages within are universal. Parents, students and teachers are encouraged to read it.