From 1995 to 2006, Linda and Kiku grew their hair out to knee length and kept it trimmed at that length. Age was catching up with each and gray stands speckled their hair. Linda asked me if I liked her hair changing colors especially with the gray. I told her it did not matter. It was now October and the weather was changing. Kiku and Linda were talking one night at a dinner party we were having at Jerry and Kiku house. We were again involved in the yearly fundraiser and were going over donations from the people at the party. The organization was to raise money for the poor at Christmas and it was decided that the second Friday in November was a good date to have a Christmas fundraiser auction. The event would raffle off items we had all ready gotten and some more items we could get, within the next week, then there were the announcements to be done for the paper, the radio and the local television.

Linda was again with Kiku and they were going to be on a local T.V. channel with the announcement to read a list of items up for sale and too make the public aware of this years event again.. The show was aired live, Linda and Kiku were announced, then walked out on stage with their knee length hair hanging down, just looking so stunning. The sight of the two of them all dressed up for the show and their hair brushed out to it’s longest silky look. The announcer made a comment about what beautiful ladies were sent to represent the association and what beautiful hair they had, he asked each how long their hair was and how long it had taken to grow it that long. Linda was reading a list of items to the audience, we have a 3 carat diamond necklace, a 5 ct Tennis Bracelet, some 20-30 colored stone rings. The list went on and on from jewelry to figurines, paintings by local artists and sculptures for the yearly event that had all been donated.

The announcer took calls from local people about the auction and one caller asked: “Are you two ladies going to be selling your long hair?” The announce was aghast at the caller, he looked Kiku and Linda who were stunned. The announcer was in total shock as he looked at Linda and Kiku and said; “I think we have to take a break for our sponsors now.” During the break the announcer asked Linda and Kiku what they wanted too do about the caller. Linda said; “We were not planning on it but; if the price is right, what the heck, for charity, yes, we will put our hair up as items to be auctioned off, if that is what the public would come out to bid on and see and pay an admission to see, plus bid on. “The announcer said; “I think instead of an auction we should use the hair for a fund raiser. We would have you two cutting your hair if the amount raised is, say, then looked at Linda and asked; “How much is it worth for you both of you to cut all this long glorious knee length hair off short? ” Linda looked at Kiku and said; “Well Kiku what do you say?” Kiku looked at Linda and laughed and thought for a moment and said; “I think we should sell hair for $10,000, that would be for both of us to cut our hair short. This would be when the $10,000 is raised by the auction date..” The announcer said; “We are back live, here with Linda and Kiku, who are here representing the charity auction given every year. If you missed the first half of the show, Linda and Kiku were challenged by a caller, who asked if they would auction off their hair. If you missed Linda and Kiku coming out at the beginning of the show then I ask Linda and Kiku, can you both stand up and show the T.V. audience the length of your hair.” Linda and Kiku stood up and the audience was told that during the half time break, Linda and Kiku had agreed to cut their hair short for $10,000. The announcer then went on to say; “Ok audience, you heard it here live, if you raise $10,000, both Kiku and Linda will cut their hair off. Of course we will have an exclusive to this hair cutting event, when and if the money is raised, on or before the event date.” With that the announcer was told that pledges could be made to the auction fund for “Linda and Kiku’s haircuts.” A phone number was placed on the screen. The station manager came out and made a speech about what guts and fervor for the auction these two ladies had to sacrifice their knee length hair, the he turned to Linda and Kiku and presented them both with a check from the station for $1,000 to start the auction going. Linda asked the audience how short they had wanted Kiku and her to cut their hair? The station manager said into a short pixie. I think that much hair being cut off by two ladies, will be more then the audience can take. Plus that is a lot of hair you are parting ways with and should be drastic enough. The show was over and Linda and Kiku came home too tell us what we had been watching on T.V. .

The week came to an end. With two weeks too go, Kiku and Linda’s hair auction event of going from knee length to pixie for both ladies had collected over $12,000. Unbelievable and the amount had not stopped there. The station was taking in about $500 a day, plus the station had sold marketing rights to other stations for $5,000. We all knew what was going to be happening again, the ladies were going too be getting another super long to super short makeover, but; this time the whole event was going to be televised live. Jerry and I looked at each other, we laughed, shook our heads, looked at Linda and Kiku in their knee length hair, then said; “Well at least this time they will not be bald.” We all laughed and went out for a night on the town. Every place we went to, Linda and Kiku were celebrities, the ladies who sacrificed their hair for the kids. The Mayor gave the two the keys to the city and the legislature proclaimed the hair-cutting day as Linda and Kiku appreciation day. Now we were coming up on that day as tomorrow. Over $30,000 in royalties and rights to broadcasting was donated to the charity.

The auctions went by quickly and with the last auction, Linda and Kiku were called to front and center stage. There was a silence across the hall as Linda and Kiku walked forward and up onto the stage. The announcer stated; “And now ladies and gentleman, the moment we have all been waiting three weeks for.” The crowd went wild. The announcer explained how this all transpired, what was to be a fund raiser of maybe $10,000 for the kids, had because of two extra ordinary women, turned into and event that 5 states had heard about, wanted too watch on PPV and were now turning on there TV’s. At this same moment, the stage, was turning 180 degrees. As the stage turned from an auction center, it now was transformed into a beauty shop, with two chairs and four beauticians. Linda and Kiku were asked to parade around for the last time in their knee length hair. Both walked around on the stage for everyone to have a last glimpse of these two ladies with this extra long hair. The announcer then stated; “Linda and Kiku please be seated.” Linda and Kiku were taken to the chairs by the beauticians, seated and caped up. The beauticians worked in pairs and each pair, held out the length of Kiku’s hair and Linda’s hair. The announcer then said to measure the length of hair before it was to be cut. They measured Linda’s hair at 54″ and Kiku’s hair at 43″. Both groups held the hair outward. Then let it fall to the back of the chair. Linda’s hair touched the back of the chair and fell to about a ½” from touching the floor, Kiku’s hair fell down the back of the chair and was about a foot off the floor. Next the beauticians split up,one braided Kiku’s hair while the partner got the scissors ready to cut the braid off. The other team braided Linda’s hair and the partner got the clipper set ready with a 1″ attachment. Kiku was turned to the side of the crowd and her braid was lifted up by the one beautician as the other one got ready to cut the braid off. The announcer asked; “Kiku are you ready to get your hair cut.” Kiku nodded and the beautician opened the scissors and started to cut through the 5″ braid. Schinnk, Schinnk, Schinnk. The crowd was all a buzz with ever
yone saying how cool this was too watch. That this was a lifetime event to see all this hair being cut at once in one day. The announcer said; “We can see that we are now half way through the hair cut for Kiku.” The beautician kept snipping along and the braid flopped off. Kiku’s once knee length hair, now fell about her shoulders. The beautician held up the severed braid, like a warrior holding up a severed head of the enemy for all to cheer and talk amongst themselves. The braid was presented to Kiku and she took it into her hands and held her mane. Then the beautician started up the clippers with a 1″ attachment and ran them up the nape of Kiku’s neck. Kiku shuttered and smiled, that warm feeling of freshly clippered hair, oh how she had missed the sensation. Kiku looked at Linda and said ” Linda it is all worth it, the whole cut is really worth it.” The beautician made twelve passes over Kiku’s head and each pass brought a pile of hair to the cape and the floor. Kiku watched as the beautician finished up. The announcer said: “Now as promised, the second hair cut.” Linda’s beautician started up the clippers and went right up the back of Linda’s neck into the braid. The crunching blades ate up Linda’s hair like a lawnmower does to grass. Each cutting motion left a clean path behind it and the braid was being cut away at base of the neck to top of the head. Each push into the neck, severed that much more braid. Linda had that look of contentment as the warm clipper were moving up her neck. The cheered and finally the braid fell away leaving a nice clipper cut nape about 2″ wide. Linda’s hair was handed to her and she accepted it holding it up to the crowd who cheered the final finish of a clipper cut all over Linda’s head. About twelve maybe thirteen passes were made with the clippers and the mane event was now over. Linda was uncapped and she and Kiku moved to center stage where they were given a 5-minute applause. Everyone gather around and asked what it felt like to cut that much hair off at one time. Kiku and Linda looked at each other and laughed and said; “If you have never done it, it is hard to explain the feeling.” As we all left the center, we felt that the cut had raised enough money for about 5- 6 years we said. More then we had ever raised before. Kiku and Linda looked at each other and said; “we will be back to this again in 6 years.” Everyone laughed and Linda and Kiku said to each other, “Oh little do they know.”

Linda never got the chance to grow her hair out to knee length. She had gotten it to just past bra length, when she died of massive heart failure 2006. Kiku has vowed to keep growing her hair. She has even found a partner to take Linda’s place. But both of us know, that will never happen. So now you have it, a life of haircutting and sex beyond our wildest dreams, from a woman who knew how to have fun and please her man. We had more fun that I ever thought possible when we married in 1970. Thank you Linda for the memories, there will never be another quite like you, you were unique my lady…