The Best Years I Never Had --  (Chapter 7)

“‘Hoes’ walk through the raindrops.” That’s that dumb shit that Sam would say. The pouring rain is worse in the winter, because it’s all cold and shit. But Sam’s ‘hoe’ ass wouldn’t be caught soaking wet out in the rain like he would have me on some nights. Not Sam. His sexy-dressing ass wouldn’t let himself get all wet. He’s too high maintenance for that. So instead, I’d be out there in the rain trying to get his money; our money. And I’d be out there walking. In the raindrops, just like Sam wanted. Ain’t that a bitch?

Even though it would be raining cats and dogs, I still had work to do. I had to be able to catch a date. I needed the money and if I didn’t bring any back to Sam, he would have a fit.

Sam was like my protector. He was my pimp, and pimps got to protect their investment. We did a lot of crooked things together, and we both got each other into bad situations. Most of the time we were there to help each other. In the beginning, there were other girls around Sam. They would be up in the room with us trying to play him all close, but I had to let them bitches know I was the bottom bitch. I was number one. And I would constantly get into it with his other ‘hoes’.

On one particular night, I got into some trouble at a club. I was trying to catch a date and I went into a club on Sunset Blvd with some Mexicans that I met.

“You looking for some company?” I asked the funny looking little guy. In a thick Mexican accent, he responded. “Yeah, get in. We can stop by the club first.”

We went to the club and after partying for a while, I decided to get in the car with him. This should be quick and painless, I thought. I was wrong.

I was rummaging through all the shit I had in my purse, so I had my head down. The funny thing is that between all the junk I had in there, wasn’t one red cent. I was flat broke that night. We started to drive off of Sunset and then he turned a corner. I heard the car skid off the road and into a restaurant parking lot. That’s when I looked up and realized there was some other shit going on.

“What the f*** you doing, little man?” I said to him. He looked over at me, his soft look turned into a hard one, and he said, “Shut up, putah.”

All of a sudden, I saw a bunch of Mexicans approach the car. There were about four or five of them. I didn’t know how so many could fit in one car but somehow they did. “Vatos, locos!” They were saying all types of shit in Spanish. I was probably in the middle of some gang initiation.

One of them stood behind the trunk of the car and one sat on the hood on the car. “You go first,” the one on the hood said to the driver. The driver grabbed me forcefully and stuck a sock in my mouth so deep I could taste feet in the back of my throat. When I looked up, all I could see was the garbage can. I realized we were in the back of some restaurant.

“Get off me!” I was yelling through the sock.

Reality Star Frankie crafts a memoir filled with emotion and life experiences one could ever imagine. After starring on the hit BET show Keyshia Cole's The Way It Is and Frankie and Neffe, and VHI's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Frankie appears to be living the good life as she is with her children and is pursuing her dreams in the entertainment industry.

On the contrary, Frankie's life has not been the greatest. She never knew her father as a child. Feeling unloved and unwanted, Frankie fell to the streets and worked as a prostitute. Consequently, she struggled with drug addictions most of her life. As a result of her lifestyle she has seven children who have seven different fathers. One of her existing hopes is to reunite with all seven of them. Frankie was known as a street superstar before becoming a star on the reality shows.

In "The Best Years I Never Had", Frankie takes the reader through the pains of being a single mother, on drugs, and fighting to survive day by day. She bares her personal struggles and uses them to offer women real, heartfelt understanding and candid advice about sex, drugs, and overcoming adversities.

Chasing the Dream

I would like to share a story with you about a person I knew years ago. Growing up as a child he was raised by his mom. Having no knowledge of the world outside of his family or the small town he lived in, he found little or nothing to dream about. His family moved when his mother met her future husband. He was a youngster from a town – so small it wasn’t even on the map – and eventually he started to be exposed to some of the finer things in life -- cars, food on the table, and the basics his mother once had to struggle. His stepfather was a good man who cared about people other than himself. He worked, made good money, and carried himself well. He was from the same small town the young family was from, but had moved years earlier to make a better life for himself.

For the first time, the boy, who was now eight, had an idea of what it was like to have a father. He attended a private school and met people from all walks of life. His stepfather took him to many events. This opened up a whole new world to him and motivated the young man to want more for himself. He developed an interest in sports and stood out in basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. For the next three years, he developed his skills. When he turned 11, he was selected to play for Lou Brock’s Little Cardinal’s team, which was composed of the best young players in the city of St. Louis. Brock was a star for the St. Louis ardinals. That same year, he played basketball for one of the top private schools in the city.

Now the lost kid from nowhere was starting to develop into a young man with a bright future. He had become a young superstar.

At 13, his mother noticed how much her son had changed since the family moved to St. Louis. She knew her son was special and the influence a father figure had on him was definitely positive. Besides setting a good example, his stepfather also seemed able to motivate him, assuring the son the world was his to claim.

He made sure the youngster believed he could do anything he aspired to, as long as he believed in God and himself and was willing to work hard.

But tragedy struck the family. His stepfather was planning a family vacation for July 4. All week the boy was excited about the pending trip because he was going to return to his hometown and see his cousins, most of whom he hadn’t seen in years. On July 3, he hung with his father.

July 4 came and everyone was up early and getting ready for the family trip. His father left and said he would be right back, but hours passed and he still didn’t return. After several hours, the doorbell rang and two policemen were standing outside, asking to speak to the boy’s mother. As the policemen spoke to her, she cried out and fell down the stairs as the child watched. Suddenly, he knew his stepfather would never return. He had been shot a number of times as he drove up to his best friend’s house. His uncle ran and the boy’s stepfather was the only one killed.

To protect what was left of her family, the mother moved the family out of state. A teenager now, the boy was deeply hurt and didn’t understand what was going on. This was the most difficult thing for him to deal with, knowing that the person who had changed his world for the better was gone forever.

His mother knew she now had to take more of a role in her son’s life, even though she at this point had to work two jobs to make ends meet. She still found the time to attend all of his activities, something she had learned from her now deceased husband.
There was a time when she watched her son play a basketball game where his team was playing against an older team. The giant team towered over the boy’s team, but he played his heart out, scoring all 28 points his team scored against the Giants’ 114. The boy was proud, and learned more from his mother than anyone else, even though she never graduated from college or high school.

He carried that support and hard work into adulthood, never letting anything or any excuses stand in his way. A young man, who, at the age of six, tried to eat dog food because he was hungry; today is a successful entrepreneur and businessman. That young man is me, Leroy McMath!
How could someone who was constantly threatened by failure become a multimillionaire? How could a non-musician create a successful entertainment company? How could a man who was cut from his high school basketball team in his senior year go on to be the founder of a professional basketball league? And how could an insensitive husband achieve a loving and fulfilling marriage? By putting God first and being a dream maker.

Some of these statements might sound a little far out or even impossible. Yet, these "impossible" dreams all came true as a result of dreaming big and working hard. My high school dream of playing basketball and owning several businesses came true even though I had no money. At the time, pro basketball camps were about $175.00, and I didn't have a dime in savings. But my dreaming enabled me to play in an NBA pro league without spending a single penny.
My dream of creating a successful entertainment company came true, even though I knew nothing about running a label. I also produced and directed movies and television shows such as “Dollar” and a new show featuring Frankie from BET’s “Frankie and Neffe.” Both productions became hits even though I still knew nothing about movies and TV. My dreams of succeeding came true, even though I failed at a few jobs in my years. But most importantly, my dream of having a loving and fulfilling marriage came true, even though I used to be an insensitive husband who was totally ignorant when it came to knowing how to meet the deepest emotional needs of my wife.
I know what you’re thinking: "That's you, not me. We’re different." Well, we are different, but you are most likely in a better position to make your dreams come true than I was a few years ago.
Chances are pretty good that you think people who achieve their "impossible dreams" are in a different league from you. That's simply not true. I have known and worked with millionaires, actors, actresses, professional athletes, and super achievers from all walks of life and I can tell you they don't have higher IQs; they have not been better educated; and they do not have better backgrounds than you. They simply learned and utilized some specific techniques that enabled them to "dream big," and they set out to achieve those dreams. Instead of just being "dreamers" they became "dream makers”.
Everyone in life is a dreamer, a dream maker, or a dream breaker. If I had to guess, I'd say 60 percent of American adults are dreamers, 30 percent are dream breakers, and only ten percent are dream makers. Which category do you want to be in? I've been in all three and I can tell you with all certainty that being a dream maker is infinitely more rewarding.
My goal for this book is twofold: Number one, to prove to you that you can become a dream maker, achieve your dreams, and help others to achieve theirs; and number two, to share with you how I made my dreams come true and to provide you with the techniques you need to become a dream maker.
But first, I must prove to you that you can achieve your highest dreams because if you do not truly believe you can, you won't take the time to learn and practice the very skills and techniques critical to achieving your dreams.

LEROY MCMATH'S life story is an inspiring journey that led him to become a powerful businessman and author. His personal struggles and trials taught him lifelong lessons that he shares with you in this stimulating book. Within the pages, McMath provides valuable lessons and offers tips and advice that will help you recognize your potential and provide you with guidance to develop your skills and to dream big. He shares insightful details that will not only empower you, but will also help you enhance your personal and professional skills.

In addition to McMath's suggestions and life lessons, "Chasing Your Dream" contains a workbook with a series of fundamental and thought-provoking questions that will motivate you to redefine your dream and assist you to evolve into the person you want to be.