TONI It's been two and a half years since that day at the hospital. A lot has happened in my life since the last time I saw Dre. I am no longer signed to LaFace records. After Dre's sentencing I got called in for a meeting with the higher ups. They decided to let me go as they claim I no longer fit the image of the label. In layman' terms, I got dropped. The day Dre went to jail my personal life was no longer private and my face was in the media almost every single day.
Being a single mom who's baby father is in jail for murder isn't really the image they wanted representing their label so I can't even blame the label for not wanting to be attached to my mess. Speaking of being a single mom I have my little Grammy baby now and she's literally the best thing that ever happened to me. Even though I was on bedrest for my last trimester, was stressed beyond my limits, and bored out of my mind it was all worth it since I delivered a healthy baby girl.
Vanessa Taylor Braxton-Young, yes she does have her father's last name even though he's basically locked up forever and we don't speak anymore doesn't make her any less his. Dre's family really stepped up and helped me out a lot. Momma Verna helped me pick out her name and her and the boys helped me with the nursery. The guys have been spoiling her non-stop. When Suge first said he was gonna be Nessa's god dad I didn't take him seriously but he really took on his role of being her godfather. Every week he stops by the house with a gift for her or plans to take her out somewhere just to give me a break.
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Look at my mini me isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen? Don't let the face fool you she's bad though her attitude reminds me so much of her father sometimes it's crazy, she got his big head too. As for Dre and I and our relationship it's pretty much non existent. When he got sentenced they gave him 18 years and he basically cut off all contact with me. I tried to go visit him once and he refused to see me. His lawyer Jimmy sent me divorce papers but I just couldn't bring myself to sign them. I no longer wear my ring though so it's more so of an out of sight out of mind thing.
After Dre's sentencing, having Nessa, and me getting dropped from my label I literally dropped off the face of the earth. Well industry wise I did, that day at the hospital really changed my life. So I packed up all my things and moved to Atlanta for a fresh start and a peace of mind.
DRE I've been locked up going on three years now and it's been nothing but hell. The first six months were the worst for me because everything just hit me all at once. I got sentenced to eighteen years for something I still to this day don't remember doing. Every night I sit in my cell and force myself to go over that night at the club but I still come up short.
I heard Toni came to visit me a while back but I had refused to see her. Everybody was giving me hell when I refused her visit but I just couldn't do it. I didn't want the love of my life seeing me like this. Locked down the way I am my pride just wouldn't let it happen. I know y'all probably thinking I'm the most selfish motha fucka on the planet right now but I mentally couldn't do it.
I had Jimmy draw up some divorce papers for us after she came up here. I didn't want to hold her back I knew she deserved better than what I could give her. She deserved somebody that could give her the love she truly deserved and it wasn't me. I'm a father now too my boy cube came to check in on me like two months ago and he showed me a picture of her. She's the perfect mixture of me and Toni.
She's actually named after my mom apparently her and Toni have gotten closer since I've been in here. I had a little mental breakdown while in here. I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping, I was getting into so many fights that they end up putting me in my own cell. They made me see a therapist and everything the whole thing was a mess. But now I'm doing a lot better. I signed up for this prison yoga class I like it actually it eases my mind and I feel more in tune with the world.
"Doctor! You got a visitor." The guard said as he approached my cell
"I'm not in the mood to see anybody today."
"You can't keep turning down every female that comes to see you."
"A female?" I asked confused
"Yea a female. Did you forget what that was? Get out this cage today and go see wassup." He said as he unlocked my cell.
Going into the visitor's room I see a young girl who looked about twenty-four or twenty-five. She sat at the table dressed in clothes that were way too big for her and she kept looking over her shoulder as if someone was following her. Now I know I've been out the hood for a while but I know a recovering addict when I see one.
"Oh my God its really you." She said as I sat down at the table with her
I stared at her as I tried to remember where I knew her from. For the life of me I couldn't figure it out and I think she knew it too.
"You don't remember me do you?" She questioned
"Umm I'm sorry to say it but no I don't." I responded shrugging my shoulders as I gave up
"It's fine. I know I look a little different compared to when we were younger. I'm Blanks little sister."
Blanks was one of my closest friends in high school. We were thick as thieves his real name was Michael but everybody called him Blanks cause he was known for scamming using blank checks. He was murdered in a drive by shooting.
"Michelle?! Oh my goodness how have you been? And your mom I haven't heard from her in forever."
"That's basically what I came here to talk to you about.. After Blanks funeral things kinda went down hill for me and my mom. I left to go off to school and in my junior year I got ganged raped. Two of the guys involved were star athletes at the school and nobody believed me when I tried to go the dean so I turned to drugs to cope with it. At first it was just prescription pills so it would be easier for me to sleep but I ended up getting addicted." I'm looking at Michelle as she sat here and told me all this stuff. I mean I feel bad for what happened but what does this have to do with me?
"I ended up dropping out of school and I was out on the streets. I met this girl named Leslie and she said she would look out for me. I know you're probably wondering why I am telling you all this but I promise you it'll be worth it once you get out of here."
"Michelle I'm not getting–"
"Her pimp was Johnny Samuels." She spoke up cutting me off, "at first she was just giving me a place to stay while I tried to get clean. But then Johnny found out about me and wanted to put me to work. They use to fight about me all the time. One night he came home from the club drunk off his ass and he was screaming about his mouth. That's when he admitted he saw you at the club and you had broke his jaw. He was running through the house going nuts and we got into an argument. He had hit me and next thing I knew he tried to force himself on me and I started having flashbacks of college. I did everything in my power to defend myself so I killed him. When Leslie got home we got rid of the body and she talked me into going to Mexico while she took care of everything here. I didn't know you'd end up taking the fall for it and I'm sorry Dre that's why I came here to turn myself in."
"Michelle I can't let you go to jail. This place isn't for you and what about your friend Leslie?"
"She's dead. They found her in an abandoned building she OD'd. It's hard trying to stay clean when you have no support. My mother is dying she's sick and I'd rather be in jail then back strung out on the streets. Dre I'm turning myself in."
