April 25, 1940

"Why are we doing this again?" Opal asked as she and Melvin drove past a sign that read "Welcome to Wisconsin." She clutched onto her seat as Melvin kept his hands on the wheel, focused on the road ahead of him.

"Opal, it's not like we can turn back now," Melvin said. "I already bought the plot up in Brown County, and we can start a new life there."

"I liked my old life just fine," Opal said.

"You'll like this even better," Melvin said. "We can start all over. How many times in your life do you get to start all over with a clean slate?"

Opal stopped talking and looked blankly out the window, but as Melvin drove straight north, he could feel the excitement building. He had heard that there was a beautiful, crystal clear lake in northern Wisconsin, a far cry from his hometown in New York. Melvin and Opal would live in the gorgeous, untamed wilderness, a thought that excited him. There were a few others in the area, and it wasn't too far from a growing city, but it was still undeveloped in comparison to their old home. Melvin couldn't wait to arrive, but his new wife was still panicking as they drove further and further north.

"What if something goes wrong?" Opal asked. "There won't be anyone else around to help us. What were you thinking, Melvin? We never should have moved to the middle of nowhere."

"You'll see, Opal," Melvin said. "It will all work out."

"Melvin, this is easily the worst idea that you've ever had," Opal said.

"I'm sure I've had a worse idea at some point," Melvin said, ignoring Opal's complaints as he continued to drive. She had reluctantly agreed to let Melvin purchase the plot in Brown County several months earlier - it was a little bit late for protests. It wasn't like they could turn back now.

A few hours passed by, and eventually, Melvin and Opal made it to the lake, and it was just as beautiful as Melvin expected. He had never seen a lake so clear, and even Opal seemed impressed as they drove by. "That's a lovely lake over there, Melvin," she said.

"It's going to be our new home," Melvin said with a smile.

Opal smiled, the first time that she had done so since the two of them had left New York. "Where's the property that you bought, Melvin?" she asked.

"It's close to here," Melvin said. "I'll drive past it if you'd like, and then we'll head to the place where we'll stay while I work on building a house here."

"That would be nice," Opal said. "How long will it take to build the house?"

"Six months, perhaps," Melvin answered.

"That seems far too long," Opal said.

"Opal, it will be fine," Melvin said. "Soon, we'll have our very own home, right next to the lake here." Melvin parked the car, and both he and Opal climbed out. They wandered around the property that he had bought, marveling at the tall trees, long grass, and of course, the clear water of the lake. Melvin walked right up to the shore and dipped his feet in the water, amazed that he could see his toes through the water. As he watched a family of ducks swim by, Melvin was convinced that this was truly an extraordinary place.

"Let's go back to the car," Opal said after she and Melvin had wandered around for a while. Melvin was busy watching a caterpillar crawl up a tree, but eventually, his wife convinced him to leave.

However, when Melvin put the key in the ignition, the car wouldn't start. No matter what Melvin did, it wouldn't budge. "What are we going to do?" Opal asked, panicking already. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and the car won't start!"

"Relax, Opal," Melvin said. "We'll figure something out."

"How?" Opal asked. "We don't know anyone here."

"There's a house over there," Melvin said, pointing to a small house sitting next to the shore. "We can ask whoever lives there for help."

"Melvin, I'm going to honest with you, that sounds like a terrible idea," Opal said. "We don't know the people who live there. How can we ask them for help?"

"We may not have a choice, Opal," Melvin said as he started to walk toward the house. Opal initially stayed in place, but as Melvin continued to walk, she sighed and followed him.

Melvin knocked on the stranger's door, and a short man with dark hair opened it. He appeared to be around Melvin's age. "Hello there," Melvin said. "My wife and I are new in town, and our car won't start. Do you know anyone who might be able to help us?"

"I can help you," the man said. "I fix boats out in Green Bay, and I'm sure that a car isn't that different." Melvin wasn't so sure, but he didn't have time to speak before the man said, "I'm Maurice Sterling, by the way. What's your name?"

"I'm Melvin Morrison, and this is my wife, Opal," Melvin said as he shook Maurice's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Maurice said. "So you two are new in town?"

"We just arrived today," Melvin said. "We bought a plot not too far from here, and I'm planning to build a house there."

"Wonderful," Maurice said as he worked on the car. "My wife Arlene and I moved to Clearwater Lake three years ago, and it was the best decision that we ever made. You two won't regret it."

"Is that what you're calling it now?" Melvin asked.

"Clearwater Lake?" Maurice said. "Well, there aren't quite enough people in this area for it to be a real town, but John Reinhart and I started calling both the lake and the town that. It may be a little uncreative, but it does the job."

Opal shrugged and said, "I like the name."

"Melvin, try starting the car again," Maurice said. "I think that I might have fixed it."

Melvin got back into the driver's seat and started the car, and this time, it actually worked. He rolled down the windows and shouted, "Thanks, Maurice!"

"No problem, Melvin," Maurice said. "Where are you and Opal staying tonight?"

"We're going to Green Bay," Melvin answered.

"Why don't you two stay in my house?" Maurice suggested. "We have extra space, and you two will be closer to your new home."

"I don't know about that..." Opal said.

"That sounds wonderful, Maurice," Melvin said as he turned off the car and climbed out. "Thank you so much."

"What are you thinking, Melvin?" Opal whispered, but he ignored her. Melvin unloaded the car and brought his and Opal's stuff into Maurice's house. Maurice then directed them to a spot in his basement where they could stay.

"You're more than welcome to stay until the house is complete," Maurice said. "You'll be able to keep a better eye on what's going on from here than in Green Bay."

"Thank you, Maurice," Melvin said.

"You're welcome," Maurice said. "If you'd like, you can also have dinner with Arlene and I tonight. We're making baked potatoes."

"That sounds wonderful," Melvin said. He and Opal relaxed in Maurice's basement for a while. Opal still seemed uncomfortable with staying in a stranger's house, but Melvin was more optimistic. Maurice and Arlene seemed nice, and Melvin knew that if he wanted to live out here, he had to trust his neighbors.

During dinner, Maurice told Melvin about his job. "It's boring, but it does pay the bills," Maurice said. "I'd like to do something more exciting though."

"Like what?" Opal asked.

"I've always wanted to start my own business," Maurice said. "I think that I could actually make a lot of money selling sailboats in this area. There's definitely enough demand for it."

"My brother started his own business in Albany two years ago," Melvin said. "He might be able to help you out."

"I could use all the help that I can get," Maurice said. "Melvin, do you know how to sail?"

"I do, and I love it," Melvin said. "Once I get settled here, I'm thinking of buying my own sailboat."

"You should," Maurice said. "Clearwater Lake is a lot more fun if you have a boat. Arlene and I actually have two - a sailboat and a motorboat."

"I'd love to go sailing sometime," Opal said.

"You can always borrow our boat until you get your own," Maurice said. "By the way, Melvin, would you be interested in helping me start my company?"

Melvin considered the offer and then said, "I'd love to." He needed a job in Wisconsin, and if he was risking everything to come here, then he might as well risk a little bit more on Maurice's business idea. He imagined that with a lake as beautiful as this one, there would be plenty of demand for sailboats.

Through the rest of the dinner, Maurice and Melvin traded ideas back and forth for sailboat designs, and before long, they had plenty of ideas for a sailboat manufacturing company, which they soon decided would be called Sterling & Morrison. It was a promising start - Melvin was sure that their business would soon take off.

"Maurice, look at this sunset!" Arlene exclaimed, and Maurice, Opal, and Melvin all rushed to the window. The sky was exploding into bright colors in a way that Melvin had never seen back in New York, and he could hardly believe his eyes. The four of them all went outside and sat on the grass, watching the clouds drift by as the sky turned from bright pink to a warm orange to a deep purple. Melvin held Opal's hand, and she gave him a soft smile.

"It's all going to work out, Opal," Melvin said. "I promise."

"I believe you, Melvin," Opal said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

As the sky faded into black and the stars began to twinkle in the sky, Melvin thought of the future. He imagined himself and Maurice starting up their business and growing wealthy off of boat sales. He imagined his children growing up here, living in Melvin and Opal's new house next to the lakeshore. He imagined them befriending Maurice and Arlene's children, and all of them becoming one large, happy family. He imagined them growing older, becoming sailors, and having children of their own. He imagined his grandchildren and great-grandchildren living here too, growing up in a world thoroughly unrecognizable to Melvin, but they would be much better off than Melvin, Opal, or anyone else in their families ever were. Countless generations of Morrisons would make their mark in this brand new town of Clearwater Lake - Melvin could see this as clearly as he could see his toes at the bottom of the lake.

The stars were out now, and in the moonlight, the lake almost looked like it was glowing. It was a sight that Melvin had never seen before, and it made him dream of the years to come. There might be troubles, maybe even ones that could never be overcome, but with this image in his mind, he could make it through anything.

Melvin closed his eyes, but he knew that no matter where he went, that picture of Clearwater Lake would never leave him.