When I was a kid I loved stories, whether it was reading them or telling them to others; and the stranger the story, the more I enjoyed it. I’m talking about Louis Sachar, Alvin Schwartz, Joanna Cole and so on. Once I had children of my own I read to them constantly, but always either from a book I loved as a child or one they had brought home. The wild and wacky stories about “Pameron and Cayton” (or Cameron and Payton) came by happenstance.
This is the tale of how the very first “Pameron and Cayton” story came to be.
It was getting late, if you wanted to call 8:30 late, and I was tired. I wanted nothing more at the moment than to put the kids to bed so I could take a warm, relaxing bath, and read a book. They were relentless little spirits, though, and wouldn’t let me get away.
As I sit there trying to tuck them in to bed, they cry out in near unison, “please mommy…just ONE more story! Yours are always the best!”
I contemplate this for a minute. They’re getting older now, and it’s rare that they want a story from me anymore. Looking at their faces and hearing their cries, I couldn’t help but soften a little and muster up the strength to tell them one more story.
“Just ONE more story, and then it’s bedtime for both of you!”
And so, I begin…
“This is the story of Pameron and Cayton, plus their dogs (Charlie and Diesel), and the cat Rory, too,” I said.
“Hey!” They cried out. “That’s us you’re talking about!”
“No, it’s not,” I say, “it’s Pameron and Cayton, and if you keep interrupting I will not tell this story! Now, where was I? Ah, yes…Pameron and Cayton…
Pameron and Cayton were fearless kids who loved to go on adventures together, and they almost always took one of the pets too! One day, while they were sitting around the house Cayton said, “let’s go to the beach!”
“No way,” Pameron said. “We’ll get in so much trouble!”
“Not if we take Charlie! Mom always says he’s such a good protector. He can watch us!”
“Well, okay then. Let’s go!”
They packed up their sand toys, grabbed two leashes (so they could both hold on) and got their skateboards; it was time to go on an adventure.
“Let’s go!” they yelled together as they stepped outside, looking around to make sure there was no one in sight. They climbed on their skateboards and off Charlie went, with the kids each holding on. Charlie took off down the road, walking along, moving faster and then slower as they navigated the hills around them. Not a person in sight had them smoothly riding through the small tree lined streets. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Charlie jerks to the right and takes off! The skateboards come flying out from under their feet and they’re soaring through the air as Charlie runs faster and faster! The beach buckets and towels are strewn all over the place and the kids are holding on just hoping that Charlie stops soon.
“Oh, no!” yells Cayton. “A squirrel!”
“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA,” both of my kids start shrieking! “A squirrel made Charlie run and they were flying around with him. HA HA HA HA.”
I tried not to giggle along with them at the hilarity of my story. “Okay now, let me finish the story,” I say.
“Once Charlie stopped running – after all, he couldn’t climb a tree, right?! – and everything around them had finally settled, they started laughing. They laughed so hard they could barely control themselves…bellies shaking, noses snorting…they just couldn’t stop!
“That was..so..so..much..fun,” Pameron said between laughs. “I was… flying so… high… air… funny.”
“I know,” Cayton said. “I wish we could do that again. Maybe we should just go home though. Charlie clearly isn’t that good at directions, and I don’t think he’s as good at protecting as Mom says, he just cares about squirrels!”
And so, they packed up their mess and gathered the dog to head home, all the while giggling and laughing over what had just happened. Once they arrived at home they went straight to the backyard to play. Not long after, their parents shouted at them from the house to wash up and get ready for dinner.
“Did you have fun outside?” their mom asked.
Giggle. Giggle. “We sure did!” They said at once.
“That’s good to hear. Now let’s get ready to eat!”
As they walked toward the bathroom they started to giggle again. “Next time, let’s take Diesel too,” Pameron said. “Then we can have two dogs to fly with!”
“The end,” I say. “I hope you enjoyed that story, but it really is time for bed now! Sweet dreams you two! I love you!”
“We love you too, mommy!” they said. “You’re the best! And, can we have another one of those stories tomorrow?”
“We’ll see,” I said.
And thus, begins the adventures of Pameron and Cayton …
Allison Christine 