CHAPTER 4

Gia woke up the next morning at 9 a.m., she rolled over and saw that his side of the bed was empty, and next to the note was an envelope containing $400 dollars in cash, and a note that said 'buy yourself something nice, Love Jonnie"

'Thanks Jonnie I will buy myself something nice, a new life.' Gia thought.

Gia got up and set her plan into action, she grabbed a bag small enough for her to carry but large enough to hold her necessities. She packed only things that she really needed or things that were really important, this excluded her wedding ring and anything he had given to her. She was already to go, she was going to drive to the nearest gas station to use the pay phone to call a cab, she was terrified that he could track her. She called a cab and gave her neighbor's address, knowing that they were in Europe. She told them not to knock; she'd be waiting for them in two hours.

When she got home she came to the sad realization the $400 dollars would not be enough.

"Jonnie has to have some money in the house, has to be in his office."

She headed downstairs to his office, going through every drawer. She found no money, just more information on the life he had hidden from her. She didn't have the time to be shocked, just time to make some copies, just in case. She had no luck finding money until she looked in the closet; in the back corner there was a locked box. She took a booby pin out of her hair and opened it. You didn't grow up in Brooklyn without picking up a few tricks. She couldn't believe what she found. There was probably $10,000 dollars in there. She took it all, put it into the same envelope that she had put the copies she had made in. Gia looked at the clock and realized the cab would be there in ten minutes. She rechecked her bag and made sure she had everything. She put her hair up and put sunglasses on, quickly said good- bye to the place that had been both her home and prison. She walked outside the backdoor and headed towards the neighbors. She knew she had been smart to wait until night; the darkness would help keep her hidden. The cab pulled up.

Cabbie: Where to ma'am?

Gia: The bus station.