Tito voice
par Uswah OyepejuIn one quiet Nigerian village, there lived a young girl named Tinuke. She was a beautiful black Nigerian girl, calm, gentle, and always minding her business. Everyone in the village knew her, but nobody truly understood her. Tinuke helped her mother sell fruits, she greeted everyone with respect, and she never caused trouble. But there was one thing about her that made people afraid. Her eyes.In the daytime, her eyes looked normal like every other child. But at night, something strange happened. Tinuke’s eyes would glow real glowing shining like burning charcoal inside a pot. The light was red and orange, and it scared many people. Some villagers said she was cursed. Some said she was a witch. Some said something dangerous lived inside her. But Tinuke herself didn’t even understand the reason behind her burning eyes. The only thing she knew was that ever since she was born, she could see things other people could not see. She could see good spirits, bad spirits, wandering spirits, and old spirits that lived around the forest. She could sense danger before it happened. And she always felt things that were hidden from normal people.
Many nights, she asked her mother,Mama, why am I like this? Why do my eyes burn at night?But her mother always gave the same answer: My child, some secrets are not meant for young ears.She never explained more.One evening, Tinuke was on her way home from the stream with a bowl of water on her head. The path was silent, only the sound of crickets and frogs. Suddenly, she felt a cold wind pass through her body. Her eyes slowly lit up on their own. And there, under an old iroko tree, she saw a tall dark spirit with no face. A shadow spirit. Its body was like smoke, and even though it had no eyes, she could feel it staring at her.The spirit lifted a long hand and pointed toward the village. Then it spoke with a deep, heavy voice that entered her bones. It said,Danger is coming. Warn them before the sunrise. Tinuke dropped the water and ran home immediately. She entered the house shaking and told her mother exactly what she saw. But her mother did not look surprised at all. Instead, she sighed deeply and said, Tinuke it is time. Tinuke asked, Time for what?Her mother held her hands gently and said, The power in your eyes is not a curse. It is a gift. A gift passed down from the women in our family. You are one of us those who can see danger before it comes.That night, Tinuke learned she was not ordinary. She was born with a gift to protect, not destroy.The next morning, Tinuke and her mother went to the village chief to warn him. They explained everything to the spirit, the message, the danger. But the chief did not believe them. He frowned and shouted, How can we trust your daughter? Her eyes are strange! Maybe she is the danger!People in the village began to gather. Some pointed at her. Some shouted,Send her away!Others said, She brings bad luck! She is a witch!She wants to scare us! stood quietly with tears in her eyes. She only said, I am trying to help.But nobody listened. The chief shouted again,Leave this place! We don’t want your warning! Tinuke and her mother walked away slowly. Even though her heart was heavy, Tinuke knew the danger was real. Something was coming.That night, Tinuke woke up suddenly. Her eyes were burning brighter than ever shining so much that her whole room lit up. She felt danger in the air. She stepped outside and noticed the trees shaking without wind. Dogs were barking loudly like they had seen something terrifying. Then she heard it a deep roar. Not a human sound. Not an animal sound. Something in between. Something angry.Tinuke shouted, Mama! It’s here!Her mother ran outside. “What do you see? Tinuke pointed toward the forest. A giant shadow beast was moving toward the village. Taller than a house. Covered in smoke and fire. Its legs were like the roots of a big tree, and its face had no mouth only a wide, hollow hole that screamed like thunder. Her mother whispered,Eru-oko the forest terror. It comes once in a hundred years. Tinuke trembled. Mama if it reaches the village, everyone will die.Her mother held her shoulders and said,My daughter, only your gift can stop it.Tinuke stepped out into the open compound. Her eyes glowed brighter and brighter until the entire place shined. People woke up in fear. Lanterns came on. Mothers carried their children. Some villagers cried. The chief ran out shouting,What is happening? Tinuke pointed to the forest. It’s the danger I warned about,she said. And then everyone saw it the huge beast heading straight toward them.People screamed.Help us!Tinuke, do something!For the first time, they believed her. Tinuke took a deep breath and walked to the center of the village. The beast roared and rushed toward her. As it came closer, she closed her eyes, then opened them wide. A bright red-orange beam of light shot out of her eyes like fire. It hit the beast in the chest. The beast screamed and stumbled back, but it didn’t fall. Tinuke pushed harder. Her whole body shook. Her legs weakened. Her breathing became heavy.Her mother shouted, Tinuke! You are stronger than it! Use your power! Tinuke focused all her strength. Her eyes glowed hotter, brighter, sharper. The light filled the whole sky like dawn rising. The beast roared one last time and exploded into thick smoke that spread into the air and slowly disappeared.Silence fell over the village. Then one by one, people started crying, cheering, thanking her. The chief stepped forward slowly and said, “I am sorry. We judged you wrongly. We feared what we did not understand. But you saved us.Tinuke nodded and said,I only did what I was born to do.That same night, the faceless spirit from the iroko tree appeared again in front of her. But this time, it bowed its head and said,You have done well. Your eyes carry the fire of protection. Use it wisely.Then it vanished.From that day, the villagers no longer feared her. Instead, they respected her deeply. They called her The Guardian With the Burning Eyes. Tinuke finally understood that the thing people feared about her was the same thing that was meant to save them. Her burning eyes were not a curse. They were her gift, her purpose, and her power.
