Lost One

𝙴𝙿 𝚂𝙸𝚇: 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘

𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚎 𝟸

               SL3 East Region Tour. The words show on screen with angelic humming. The scene opened with the videographer getting a back shot of Shantey standing on her tour bus and rocking Azoni back to sleep. Staying respectful to Shantey's wishes, the recorder stayed at a angle that left her child's face out of the video.

Her humming echoes, and opening to another scene of Shantey sitting on her tour bus in another area while the producer asked: ❝What are you accepting now that you didn't before?❞

               ❝Everything that molded me,❞ Shantey speaks, ❝I'm accepting that my childhood was a piece of shit. That what I went through led me to have a drug addiction that sadly went into my adulthood. I'm accepting that that fourteen, fifteen, sixteen year old girl was forced into sex trafficking and that once smiling, cheerful young girl disappeared for a reason.❞

               A flood of photos of Shantey younger and smiling quickly transitioned into the teenage her with Amanda. They were staring blankly with makeup on to make them appear older—to outsiders they were fast teens. But in reality they were being sex trafficked.

               ❝I'm accepting that me getting pregnant young was the best and worst thing that happened to me.❞ Just then, photos of pregnant sixteen-year-old Shantey came up with Amanda kissing her stomach. ❝The best thing because I got out. The worst because I had to leave behind Amanda. She was there alone and another reason why I went so hard wit this music shit. She was coming home with me regardless.❞

               ❝I'm accepting that I was sexually assaulted in this industry. That I became a mainstream punchline. A success punchline because even without music, I'm still multi-million dollars richer than I was wit just music and that's a major flex.❞ Shantey winked directly at the camera, ❝Cause there was one major person that said I wouldn't be shit and now look at me.❞

               Pictures of Shantey and Amanda's joint business ventures appeared on the screen. It was promotion photoshoots for their women's apparel and baby gear line and inaudible footage of the two during creative meetings involving their companies.

               ❝They didn't want me to be a business mogul!! Look at me now!!!❞ Shantey shouted in a different footage with Amanda popping her collar.

               The footage slowed down, returning to Shantey. ❝I'm accepting being the best mother I know how to be because my kids mean everything to me. I was raised by someone fucked up and I can brag and say I'm doing a thousand times better.❞

               Her song "No Takebacks." starts playing as footage of her with her kids showed. The first clip was of Shantey holding Ameer up in her arms, rocking with him softly. The second clip was of slow motion video of Romeo kissing her forehead and embracing her.

               The third clip was footage of Shantey and Seona. They were at a professional photoshoot for DÈXE Apparel and the videographer strictly getting the back of Seona's head. Once Shantey starts tickling her, the video changes to footage of Shantey at one of Cruz and Kendrick's past flag football games. She ran out on the field after Kendrick made the touchdown that won the game and milly rocked with them.

               The final clips involves her and Azoni. The two were laying in bed—a video recorded by Tae himself.

               ❝And even wit my flaws, I am a learning wife and what it means.❞

               There was raw footage of young Shantey and Tae rapping the lyrics to "Ice Cream Paint Job". Their voices echo in unison as the video starts to fade out.

               Then their favorite song K-Ci, and Mary J Blige's "I Don't Want To Do Anything" started playing over childhood several pictures and raw footage of young Shantey and Tavon. It goes into their adulthood, showcasing unseen videos and pictures of them.

               The song fades out and the final pictures was of Shantey laying on the couch pregnant and Tae embracing her baby bump with closed eyes.

               ❝Giving up is never a answer for me. On any aspect. They wanna count me out. But they can't. And never will. Shantey Ledé is here to stay.❞

               The scene of Shantey fades out and replaced with a camera shuffling. ❝Aight, it's on,❞ The voice says before Chris Brown sits in the empty seat, ❝Whaddup, it's Breezy. You're one of the strongest women I know. You my sista and this ain't just one some industry shit. I been allowing you ya space but fuck allat. You stuck witcha brotha for life. And I love you.❞

               ❝We love you, too!❞ All of Chris's children hopped in the video to wave.

               The video switch to the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul herself. ❝My birthday twin, Sista, it's MJB. Your soul is beautiful and so is your voice. Don't allow anyone to take that from you. Because you are powerful. It's all love over this way. Live, Gorgeous.❞

               The end credits start to appear but was cut off. ❝Nuh-uhh!❞ The loud voice stops that from happening and the edit makes it as if she snatched the screen to show the legendary Jenifer Lewis. ❝Oh, so y'all was gone forget about me?❞

               She laughed loud, ❝All right foreal. There was no way I couldn't have come in this documentary and didn't give you my words, even if I do that in private. When I met you at just eighteen-years-old and I felt you were a beautiful soul. But looking in those green eyes I knew you were damaged as well because so was I. Our life is similar in several ways and my spirit felt that. And even with all my pain, I just wanted to hug you. And that's exactly what I did. You told me that was the longest hug you ever gotten and I didn't know how much that meant to you.❞

               ❝What I didn't tell you is that as much as you needed that hug, so did I. We all got our flaws, but you are the one. You're brilliant. You're better. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. JL loves you, mama.❞

               The scene of the legend faded out, while her voicemail and verse on Shantey's song "Heavy" played in the closing of the final episode.

♪ There's nowhere to run
If there was I'd have been there
You take yourself with you
You can't run from yourself fool
You can't go down to the neighbor's house
You can't run, you need to confront what's going on in your own house
You have to confront that ♪

               There was cheering of Shantey's name and her walking out onto the stage before the end credits.

          

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