Special Chapter: The White Lady of San Isidro

A break from my story...

Here's a famous legend I got from Hermana Auring. She is a great source of gossips and urban legends.

Once, there was a beautiful girl who lived at San Isidro. She came from a wealthy and prominent family.

She was the unica hija*. As she grew up to be a young lady, men noticed her beauty and wanted her to be his. But a young friar from Spain wanted her the most. After the mass, he will come to her and kiss her hand.

(Spanish Term for "only daughter)

She and her parents feared for her safety. They sent her to the nun's convent at Manila.

Soon, the friar had himself  reassigned to Manila. They took their daughter home and planned to just go to Spain. One of the servants told the friar about the plan. He was furious.

He soon had the parents arrested for plotting a rebellion. False witnesses testified against them. Their properties were seized and the house burned.

The friar was satisfied. Soon, the girl will be too weak and will ask for his mercy to let her parents go.

He was right. She was standing by the Church's door. Her sweet eyes were swollen from crying. She came to him and kneeled before him.

"Padre*. Mercy." She said in between sobs.

(Father- as referred to a Catholic priest)

He held her by the shoulder and ordered her to stand up.

"Free my parents and let them go to Spain and I will be with you long as you live."

The friar smiled wickedly. She was his at last.

"But first, I would like to see them onboard the ship to Spain. You may accompany  me if you doubt my words."

"Agreed."

The young girl cried as she saw her parents from afar being escorted by the guards to the ship. The friar gestured for her to follow him back to the Church.

Once inside, the friar kissed the girls hands and cheeks and promised her that he will take good care of her. He then kissed her on the lips but he was scorched. He opened his eyes and he saw himself staring at burning red eyes. The girl was burning. He screamed in horror.

"As my promise, I will be with you as long as you live."

The girl had been accidentally burned to death inside the house on his orders. The friar tried to run away but it was of no use. The girl knew how to keep her promise. She followed him anywhere.

Thirty years have passed. There are still sightings of a young lady dressed in white with burning eyes, hands and feet. She is harmless except to one unlucky man who desired her wrongly. She is also known to protect women to be taken advantage of by the friar.

The friar lived a terrible life. He never learned his lesson,though. He was still an evil man. Maybe, just a half percent because he has a ghost who torments him everyday.

He, too, was the person who excommunicated Antoine for refusing to kneel before him for God's  forgiveness.

Antoine told him he will instead exorcise him anytime the friar wants. The white lady would be happy, he added.

The friar blurted out a Spanish curse.

He was called a heretic and was forbidden to enter the Church.