Many people died during the war, both Filipinos and Japanese soldiers. As is common during such times of chaos, not every fallen victim was so fortunate to receive a proper burial or other final rites. It is said that these lost souls have to this day not yet found peace.
In the neighbouring town, there was a young woman who was called Amparing. No one can say for sure, when or why it started - It simply did. Amparing was said to be very pretty, and there were many suitors clamouring for her attention. Unfortunately for her, there was one particularly persistent suitor. He did not speak Tagalog - the language of the Philippines - and he would merely repeat her name, always calling "Amparing...Amparing..."
No one knew who he was, no one had ever seen his face. Just a pair of very white legs that would dangle from the ceiling of their house.
It was believed to be the ghost of a Japanese soldier who must have met his end in the area during the war, and he had fallen in love with Amparing. Constantly he would call for her, occasionally, they would hear him sobbing. If another suitor dared approach the house of his beloved, he would get angry and fill the rooms with noise - thuds, banging and slamming.
Amparing and her family were of course very afraid of this ghost who would only manifest as a pair of dangling white legs. So, her parents sent her to stay at another relative's house.
The ghostly legs followed.
I cannot say for how long all this carried on and how Amparing and her family rid themselves of the unwelcome spectre. I would like to think that they were able to find a priest or medium to lay the tormented spirit to rest.
But then, some things are never certain.
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