Smooth Sailing

April 25, 1940

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!"