“VALE MAGISTER MAGISTRORUM”

A Tribute to Mr. Lambert O. Erumaka a.k.a. Cha-Cha

 

Fellow alumni of GSSA:

 

A great void exists in the GSSA family today. Our great Latin teacher and House Master of Charles Low House, Mr. Erumaka is dead. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

 

Mr. Erumaka, known affectionately to us as “Cha Cha”, was an institution at GSSA. Though gentle in demeanor, he left an indelible impression. And it was not only because of his distinctive and unforgettable sense of fashion. He was the ultimate Latin master who not only taught us our declensions and conjugations but insisted that we read between the lines and come up with the most idiomatic translations. His mastery of the language was total and complete. And it showed. He guided us through Caesar’s “De Bello Gallico” which in Caesar’s own words described that ancient general’s exploits as he tried to subdue the ancient tribes of France and Germany. We read about the insurrection of Ambiorix, the German chieftain (the Osama bin Laden of his day) who ambushed and cut down Caesar’s lieutenants, Cotta and Sabinus. In a ruthless and genocidal act of revenge, Caesar wiped out his entire tribe after he escaped.

 

Cha-cha helped us navigate the opaque and inscrutable lines of Virgil’s Aeneid where, among other things, we learned of Aeneas and his adventures; of the wiles of the seductress Dido; of “fidus Achates”. Aeneas’s ever faithful sidekick; of King Mezentius; of the crafty Greeks and their Trojan horse; of storms sent by the wicked goddess Juno to destroy Aeneas.

 

In sum Cha-Cha enriched our lives greatly by helping to give our education much needed breath and balance, considering that our academic proclivities tended to be lopsided, leaning heavily towards Mathematics and the Sciences.

 

As the House Master of Charles Low House, he was always available and he was legendary for his caring, his patience, his wise counsel and his kindness. “New brooms” he would say “sweep clean. But old brooms sweep the corners.” Like an old broom he did not neglect any corners at GSSA. If he was present at an event at GSSA, you knew that all would be well and everything would be done in proper fashion. For all he did for us we say “Gratias agimus tibi, magister” and “Farewell to You, You Master of masters. May the angels usher you into Heaven for eternal rest.”

 

Obi Nwasokwa