Hemi

Hemi is the title character in the short story “Hemi’s Gift” by TJ Corrigan. He is of Māori ethnicity and an actor (l. 81). His outward appearance is shabby: “dressed in old, sloppy clothes” (l. 12), “his hair has an overgrown, wild look, like unmown grass” (ll. 12-13). His belongings are old and weathered: “a battered brown bag and an ancient guitar” (ll. 11-12). This shows that he does not care how he is perceived by other people and he is probably not materialistic. 

He appears to be carefree, smiling widely when he first boards the bus (ll. 13-14) and smiles and laughs easily when the narrator first approaches him (ll. 75). He does not seem to notice or appear bothered by the “tense silence” (l. 30) on the bus that is caused by his behavio...