Short summary of Yellow Yellow

Short summary of Yellow Yellow

THE STORY

The novel is about a young mixed-race girl called Zilayefa, whose mother is Nigerian and whose father is Greek. Growing up as a young girl in the village, she has no idea who her father is except that he was a white man who had an affair with her mother and disappeared. With the help of her church Pastor in the village, Zilayefa is sent to Port Harcourt to live with an elderly woman named Sisi and her young friend Lolo. Here, she is introduced to the world of affluent people in the city.

In time, Zilayefa discovers herself as a woman as she enters into a relationship with an Admiral old enough to be her father, hoping to have some sought father-daughter connection to fill the void of not having a father in her life. With the knowledge that Sisi and Lolo would never approve of the relationship between herself and the Admiral, she keeps the affair a secret from them and instead confides in her friend Emem. As a result of this sexual relationship, Zilayefa finds herself in a very difficult situation and learns to understand herself and her society, and tries to “refocus” her objectives and goals all by herself.

EXCERPT FROM THE NOVEL

During my second to last year in secondary school, one of the crude oil pipes that ran through my village broke and spilt oil over several hectares of land, my mother’s farm included. I was home that day when she returned shortly after leaving for the farm. When she got to the house, she knocked on the door and said very coolly, ” Zilayefa, bring me my bathing soap and sponge.” As I wondered why she needed them, I saw her legs stained black.