It took me awhile to realize my mistake. There are NO gas stations between Wichita, Kansas and Topeka, Kansas on the Kansas turnpike. That's 140 miles! I could not exit. There was no place to stop or turn around. I might not have crapped my pants earlier but it was taking one hell of an effort not to now. I didn't actually know I was heading to Topeka until I got there. After relieving myself, I studied the map to find out how to get back on course. I didn't want to drive North from there because I wanted to re-trace the route I'd lost my billfold on. So I took I-70 West back to where it met Highway 81. - Another 111 mile trek. My mistake had added another 250 miles to my trip.
5 hours after I'd taken the wrong turn I was back on course. It was starting to seem as though I'd never get home. When I finally turned back onto Highway 81 I knew it was time to start keeping my eyes open for anything that resembled a wallet across the meridian on the Southbound lanes. Once again, the sun was starting to set. As I was driving I saw a Kansas state patrolman stopped alongside the road. I pulled over and told him about my wallet. Although I couldn't pinpoint a location, he said he'd keep an eye out for it.
Nebraska was just ahead. Although it was dark I could recognize landmarks now. It felt good to cross that state line. A drizzle had started but I was within a few hours of home. I was following an SUV as I drove up 81. A few miles South of York, Nebraska I noticed a semi truck on the West side of an intersection we were approaching. Just before we got there, he pulled out. The SUV in front of me locked up his brakes and was sliding sideways trying to stop. I locked up the brakes on the truck and trailer as I tried to avoid slamming into the SUV and the semi. In the lit intersection I could see the Chevelle in my rear view mirror leaning heavily against the tie down straps. We both narrowly missed the truck.
The last hour of my trip went by without incident. But like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, sometimes, "There's No Place Like Home!"