May day eve plot?

May Day Eve is a short story set in the Philippines, written by the Filipino author Nick Joaquin. It is now considered a classic piece of Filipino literature, and although it is aimed at an adult audience, the story is often studied by teenage literature students. One theme that is evident in May Day Eve is that of magic realism; the story combines elements of magic with a storyline about occurrences in the regular world. An outline of the main plot is given below.

• The plot of May Day Eve

Don Badoy, a young Filipino man, has gone back to visit his hometown in Manila. Whilst there, he remembers how he was once vividly in love with a beautiful local girl, Agueda. The girl had resisted his advances in the past, unimpressed by Don Badoy's boyish, immature behavior - she was a bold girl; a non-conformist ahead of her time in many ways, but stuck in the life of a 20th century Filipino woman. However, she used a magic charm to see the face of her future husband, and saw Don Badoy. He proposed the prospect of marriage and they were wed.
After some time had passed, Don Badoy learns from his grandson (who had found out from his mother, Don Badoy's daughter) that his wife Agueda described him as the devil. He is angry and calls her a witch, and after the truth is revealed in a finale of confrontation, the couple share a bitter, loveless marriage.

• The idea behind May Day Eve

The main idea the writer is trying to portray in May Day Eve is that marriage is a concept that should be carefully considered, and only if a couple are truly in love. Don Badoy and Agueda did not share true love; the feelings they felt for one another were of passion, which is why their happiness did not last throughout the years.