HARMONY: HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED

  HARMONY: HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED

 

Donnie’s dream was getting bizarre with each passing day. Every day for the past month, he walked down the hauntingly familiar cobbled street. The same man with a white coat, a goatee, tight jeans, and an unmistakable glint of a round single silver earring would appear before him. They never spoke, and the dream always ended just as Donnie felt the man was about to tell him something important.

 

But today, as Donnie walked home from school, he froze and stopped in his tracks. The man from his dreams was just outside his school's front gate. The same white coat, the goatee, the earrings—everything was the same.

 

“Is this for real?” Donnie whispered as he pinched to ensure he was not dreaming and to get a grip on his rising adrenaline.

 

The man noticed Donnie and began walking. As if pulled by some irresistible force, Donnie followed. The street felt familiar, just like in his dreams; it was a surreal feeling of déjà vu coming to life. He was unsure if he was still dreaming, but his feet had acquired their own life.

 

After a few blocks, the man turned into a narrow alley. Donnie was in two minds, but curiosity pushed him forward. As he rounded the corner, he found the man standing calmly as if he had been waiting.

 

“We’ve been waiting for you,” the man said, his voice silky smooth and musical, hinting at some mystery and intrigue.

 

Donnie blinked, “I beg your pardon, Sir?”

 

The man smiled, revealing a hint of mischievousness. “Name’s Rudy. You play the electric guitar and ukulele, don’t you?”

 

Donnie was surprised; with his mouth agape, he asked, “How do you know that?”

 

Rudy chuckled, “Let’s just say the word does get around. It’s a small world. We could use someone like you in Harmony”.

 

“Harmony?” Donnie repeated, the name striking a chord in his memory bank. Of course, Harmony! They were the local blues band with a growing and respectable reputation.

 

“You want me to join your band!” Donnie asked, his voice dripping with utter disbelief. “You haven’t even heard me play.”

 

Rudy shrugged casually. “Doesn’t matter. I have a good feeling about you. But if it will make you feel better, how about an audition?”

 

Donnie hesitated. This was happening at a breathtakingly fast pace, much too fast, “Uh…sure when?”

 

Rudy’s grin widened, “Now, you follow me.”

 

They walked for a few minutes until they reached a garage attached to an old house. The door was already open, and inside, three more guys, one of them the vocalist was a woman, were setting up instruments. They turned as Rudy and Donnie entered, eyeing Donnie with curiosity. “Welcome,” said the woman as she adjusted her microphone.

 

“This is Donnie, “Rudy announced. “He’s here for the audition”.

 

One of the band members, Cross, with long hair tied back into a ponytail, nodded as he handed Donnie a guitar. “Let’s see what you got, man,”

 

Donnie swallowed hard. “Alright,” he said, trying to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath, his fingers finding the familiar position on the fretboard. He started playing a bluesy riff of the Bob Dylan song “Orange Juice Blues, " which he had been tinkering with at home. As he played, the other members of Harmony joined in, creating a jam session that was simply out of this world. The woman vocalist crooned the perfect rendition of the song as they jammed along.

 

When they finished, the garage vibrated with the last echoes of music. Donnie exhaled slowly, feeling like he had just competed in a marathon at the Paris Olympics 2024. The band members exchanged glances, and the guy with the long hair, Cross, nodded.

 

“Not bad,” he said, giving Donnie a thumbs-up. We’ll get back to you.”

 

Donnie, still in a trance, handed the guitar back. “Thanks”, he mumbled, unsure if this were a weird dream he would wake up from any second.

 

Rudy gave him a high five. “Nice work, kid. We’ll be in touch.”

 

And with that, it was over. Donnie walked home, his mind beset with unanswered questions. What just happened? Was he seriously being considered for a spot in Harmony?

 

But as the days passed, life went back to normal. Donnie went to school, laughed, joked, hung around with his friends, and practised the guitar as usual. The whole experience started to feel like some cruel joke, or maybe it was a figment of his imagination.

 

Then, on his birthday, his landline phone buzzed as he blew out the candles on his cake. He picked it up and saw an unknown number flashing. “Hello?” he answered, half expecting it to be a call from a telemarketer or NGO.

 

“Donnie, my man!” came a familiar voice. “It’s Rudy. Welcome to Harmony. You’re in.”

 

Donnie’s heart missed a beat. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”.

 

“It’s serious, as a Bob Dylan’s blues riff in the dead of night," Rudy said with a laugh. “See you at the rehearsals tomorrow. Oh, and happy birthday, kid.”

 

The call ended, leaving Donnie staring at the receiver in shock. He was in Harmony, for real. He looked around at the birthday celebrations, his friends and family laughing. This was turning out to be a hell of a day. With a grin, Donnie picked up his guitar and strummed a celebratory chord of “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan.