Jail Bait

Due to a recent death in the family, I traveled to a very small town called Palatka, Florida where the majority of my mother's relatives continue to work and live. I hadn't seen this extended side of the family in over 5 years and was pleasantly surprised when almost all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins came to the service. After the burial, we returned to my grandmother's home and began telling stories about all of the crazy things that had happened several years back. My great-uncle, who just turned 59 and is still a loose cannon to put it nicely, began telling my brothers and I about all of the crazy adventures him and my cousin Steve managed to stumble upon when they were teenagers. He began explaining that although the town of Palatka lacks any ounce of fun nowadays, about 30 years back it was booming with bars, dance halls, and jail houses. To begin the story, my Uncle Otis and Cousin Steve decided to sneak into one of the most popular bars/dance halls which happened to be known for its selection of attractive women. After a few drinks, both guys spotted two young women who were "attractive enough" and asked them to dance. Several hours of dancing and drinking had passed when one of the women suddenly looked at her watch and stated that they had to go. My uncle and cousin immediately asked them why they were leaving so early, as it was only 10:30. The ladies were silent for a few moments and then finally decided to speak up. They proceeded to tell my uncle that they were currently prisoners of the county jail and had to be back for their 11:00 p.m. curfew. At first they clearly assumed that the women were joking as they hardly looked like criminals. They began walking the ladies outside and saw the "Palatka Prison" van anxiously awaiting its pickup. My cousin and uncle quickly said their goodbyes and never returned to that dance hall again.