When Thinks and things makes one think become a thing, other similar thinks attach themselves to the originator. Take the boy who first thought of the Internet. He, by himself, did not create the Internet. He may have passed the idea along to someone who knew something about computers. Then that person may have thought about it and added something to it. People keep adding and adding to a think and then eventually, it becomes a thing. Sometimes this process takes a second, one thought and just one person. Sometimes it takes several years and hundreds of thoughts and people.
When Arlan first thought the Big Dipper wasn't there simply because he wasn't able to see it one night not too long ago, that think was passed on. One thought attracts others. If the Big Dipper doesn't exist, maybe the Little Dipper doesn't exist as well. Maybe Pluto isn't a planet. Maybe humans didn't really land on the moon. Maybe there isn't such a thing as infinity. The world becomes smaller and there's less room for such nonsense as wishing on stars and the machines that can fly toward them.
Despite its name, nothing was blooming in the city of Bloomington. The trees looked thirsty, browned flowers drooped to their dusty beds, the yellowed grass was giving way to dirt, and the shrinking ponds and lakes were fast becoming desolate. A couple of sprinklers were spinning in a few yards but it was clearly a losing battle. A few hanging and potted plants were surviving but upon closer inspection, many were made of plastic.
A perpetual rain cloud was anchoring over one small gray house in particular.
The Fixer eyes a very tall man watering a dandelion in a decorative clay pot in the yard of that gray house. The neighbors across the street watch the tall, bald man in amazement, as to say, Who would , not only water a weed, but encase it in its own pot?
The very tall man sets down the hose, picks up pruning shears and cuts off some dead branches off of a crab apple tree. An old woman opens the front screen door, carefully carrying a pitcher of water to the man. The ice cubes collide into each other as she sets it down on a small, metal table. She engages Thinks and things into a conversation.
The Fixer has mentally and physically prepared himself anyhow, just in case. His hand is absentmindedly opening and closing his toolbox, making a checklist in his mind of its contents. He opens the door of his truck and steps out. One foot in front of the other, that's how you do it. He stops a few yards shy of the man with the pruning shears.
Thinks and things stood with his back turned to the Fixer, “About time. I've been expecting you for a while.”
The Fixer's mouth opened and he couldn't help but reply, “Yeah, a funny thing about time. It's been slowing down.”
Thinks and things turns around and calmly states, “I know.” He turns back around and continues pruning dead branches off the tree.
“I've had to fix multitudes of things-
“I know.”
“Some of which cannot be fixed-”
“I know.”
“And I've been looking for you-
“I know,” Thinks and things throws the dead branches away in a garbage can. “I see you finally figured out how to find me,” Thinks and things points at a shrub that looks like it'll crumble if the wind blows. “Dandelions, nor anything else has grown from the ground here all spring. No need for a weed salesmen to pass through, which is exactly why you stopped here.”
“You purposely caused things to disappear? You know, I can't quite fix or replace the Big Dipper,” said the Fixer.
“I know, the first one was a mistake. Nothing quite like that has ever happened before. But I needed to get you here.”
The Fixer rolls his eyes for he remembers the day when people across the world forgot how to tie their shoes. Luckily, he was able to fix that right away. But there was this other time when people across the world forgot how to use or make a mayply. Never heard of a mayply? That's because it's been wiped out of existence. The case is pending and the Fixer is still working on it.
“Athought is just like a tree. It has roots, branches, and leaves. You have to carefully trim the branches that may cause harm. A rotted branch may to be removed or else diseased buds will fall and sick trees will start to grow. These trees have thorns but no flowers, if they grow at all.”
Thinks and things sets down his shears, picks up the potted dandelion and shows it to the Fixer, “Is it a weed or a flower?”
The Fixer thought back to his previous client. He left Jacob while crawling and picking the dandelions. The client would have most likely given a handful to his mother by now and she would have placed them in a vase with water from the tap.
Despite being a weed killer salesman, the Fixer can still appreciate the beauty of a dandelion since his clients can see the beauty of dandelion. Whether they braid chains to wear on their heads, gift a bouquet to their parents, or simply stop to smell them, a dandelion is a flower in their eyes.
“Yes. They're flowers.”
Thinks and things eyes sparkled but then turned cloudy, “I haven't been able to get around much, covering a lot of ground was never a problem until now. I could change a think in Tibet, then in Canada, then Peru, all within a day. I could even find enough thinks within one square mile to keep me working for days on end. But now, it's rare that I find one in a day in any town. And when I finally find an original one, it's something ridiculous like the durtle. I know about the lack of quality in thinks lately. I can't hear anyone else until Arlan falls sleep. He's so loud when he thinks. I know the world doesn't benefit from a little boy having an insect sucking mole, but I needed to change some thinks into things to stop the world from slowing down. I knew you could fix those ones-and you did. But to have no thinks at all-well, that has much more dire consequences. The world can keep running on unoriginal thinks.”
“Running improperly.”
“At least it's running at all. I imagine you're not just here to find me but also to find the source-Arlan. I've been visiting him every so often to try and fix the problem myself. If a person changes his thinking, which can be a long process in itself or as quick as lighting a match for a birthday candle-whatever disappeared, if it's not really completely gone it can come back.”
“What about the witch and the lion?”
“The lion I'm not too worried about. It acts and behaves just like a lion,” Thinks and things said this so plainly as though it were suppose to comfort the Fixer, “However, the Witch. A thing without a conscious, without a soul. Things don't have thoughts. They don't have emotions either. Yes, the witch was a concern.”
“Was?”
“She's been taken care of. I periodically scanned thoughts and tried to find anything linking to her. I found just one but that's all I needed. A parent in conversation with a principal of an elementary school. Complained that a kindergarten teacher feeds the kids too much sugar and they come home all wound up, not wanting to eat supper. But then, here comes the tricky part. I needed to find a think that could override her. She's rather powerful thinkshe lives in the minds of many. But I found one just a bit stronger.” He went on to explain the ordeal in fascinating detail to the Fixer.
“The Big Dipper dimming in the sky was my doing, purely accidentally. I'll have to take credit for that. Arlan's voice was the loudest on that particular night I passed through this city. He had a great, little think just moments before. He thought that someone should invent guard rails for book cases. What a great idea! Why haven't someone thought of that before?
The Fixer looks towards the sky, knowing the Big Dipper was out there somewhere. The sun makes it too bright to see it in the day time, but now the Dipper's too dim to see it even at night.
“I opened the gate when Arlan thought of a guard rail for book case,” Thinks and things points to his head. “But that other think-the one that caused the Big Dipper to fade got in. I can't close the gate. It's stuck, it won't move no matter how hard I try.”
The Fixer openly gazes at Thinks and things' calloused hands, the rough, red skin on his face, and in particular, his severely hunched back. It looked as though something invisible, but of great weight, was sitting on his shoulders, like a demon traveling piggyback.
“But I'm glad you could make it out today, for today is his birthday. And I can't close his connection to me. His strongest thoughts made the Dipper disappear. It made those children get sick. He says he wants nothing. Who knows how a thought will translate into a thing, if it's a powerful thought? It could wipe out the Dipper completely. Worst case scenario: civilization. Best case scenario,” Thinks and things slaps a mosquito dead on his upper arm, “We'll be rid of these mosquitoes once and for all.”
After a moment, Thinks and things finishes, “It's too much. Too high, too many expectations. The whole world is sitting, resting, depending on my shoulders. I'm not sure if I'm right for it anymore. I can't move as fast or as far as I used to. Getting old, at least too old for this job.”