10 a.m. June 1, 2007, Aynor
Inside there's hairspray, homespun sayings tacked to the walls, bottom-shaped forms left in cushioned chairs beneath hair dryers, open arms folding friends in warm hugs and Billie Rae Dudley doing dos for others. "Honey, I've been doing this since 1960 and I'm going to keep on doing it for as long as I'm able," her southern voice fills the one-room Aynor Beauty Center along 8th Avenue. Her voice drips easily, slowly and sweetly but her fingers flutter, flip and fly as she transforms smushed perms into full showcases ready for show from any angle in a Sunday morning pew. She says most of her customers are, "you know, retired ladies, but I do a lot of men." She has to, she nods over her shoulder, since the town's barber shop has been closed for a few years. Laughing, she fluffs Thara Dean Gore's curls, takes her $12 for the job and walks her to the door. "Alright now, Deanie, you be careful and I'll see you next week," Dudley says as she sends her friend out into the day. "Yeah, most everybody has a standing appointment once a week. I don't work but three and half days a week so my days are booked when I'm working," she says welcoming another woman into her chair for the usual.
